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Psychological maltreatment : the case of verbal abuse

Majedah Khalifah
University of Northern Iowa

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PSYCHOLOGICAL MALTREATMENT:

THE CASE OF VERBAL ABUSE

An Abstract of a Thesis

Submitted

in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Arts

Majedah Khalifah

University of Northern Iowa

July 1999
 ABSTRACT

The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between parental

verbal abuse and children's emotional development (depression, anxiety, stress, self-

esteem, and anger). The participants were 29 male and 89 female college students whose

average age was 19. Five instruments were used to collect data: Depression, Anxiety, and

Stress Scales (DASS-21), Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, Verbal Abuse Measure,

Child Attitude Toward Parents Measure, and State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory.

For data analyses, several tests were used. The Pearson correlation was calculated

to see the inter-correlations of each emotional variable. A multiple regression analysis

was used to find out what variables predicted the level of state anger. Moreover, an

independent simple t-Test was conducted to examine gender differences. Finally, a one-

way ANOV A was used to see family configuration and the effects of verbal abuse.

The findings indicate several correlations between parents' verbal abuse and

children's depression, anxiety, stress, anger, and self-esteem. The results show that the

more verbal abuse participants experience, the higher their depression, anxiety, and

stress, and the lower their self-esteem. In addition, the findings show an inverse

correlation between anger and parents' verbal abuse. The findings also indicate that males

have more negative attitudes toward their mothers than females. In addition, the findings

show that different family configurations have an impact on the individuals. Therefore,

parental verbal abuse has both short- and long-term effects on children's emotional

development. Although, implications were drawn for teachers, counselors, and parents,

further research is needed to investigate the effects of parental verbal abuse.

PSYCHOLOGICAL MALTREATMENT:

THE CASE OF VERBAL ABUSE

A Thesis

Submitted

in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Arts

Majedah Khalifah

University of Northern Iowa

July 1999
 11

This Study by: Majedah Khalifah

Entitled: Psychological Maltreatment: The Case of Verbal Abuse

has been approved as meeting the thesis requirement for the Degree of Master of Arts in

Education.

Dr. Radhi H. Al-Mabuk, Chair, Thesis Committee

d ~ i l s ~ ~ ~ m i t t e e Member

16-, Irr
Date John W. Somervill, Dean, Graduate College
 lll

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to acknowledge all the individuals who were of assistance to me in

the completion of this thesis. First, I would like to thank Allah, God almighty. Next, I

would like to thank Dr. Radhi Al-Mabuk, my thesis chair, and adviser. For all his help,

support, and understanding over the past two years. His guidance and counsel have been

a tremendous help. He has been an excellent mentor for the two years that I have been at

University of Northern Iowa. I am extremely grateful for his dedication. Next, I would

like to thank the other members of my thesis committee, Dr. Barry Wilson and Dr.

Suzanne Freedman, for their input in this process. All of their comments and suggestions

have been very helpful. My special thanks to Mrs. Carole Yates for her insightful

suggestions and comments concerning my thesis.

A special thanks to Dr. Joan E. Farstad and Dr. Eldon N. Peters for allowing me

to recruit their students to participate in the study. I would also like to thank all of the

students who took the time to complete my questionnaire, without them this study could

not have been possible.

Last but certainly not least, I would like to thank Kuwait Government without

their funding I wouldn't be here. I would like to thank my parents, sisters, and brothers

for their support and encouragement. I would like to thank Jacquelyn Plowman for her

support. A special thanks to Yukari Kajishima, my friend, for all the help she provided

me with this study. Finally, I would like to thank Randa Taouk, my friend, for all her help

and support and encouragement in this project and everything else that I do.
 IV

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

LIST OF TABLES......................................................................... VI

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION......................................................... 1

Statement of the Problem............................................................ 2

Significance of the Problem.......................................................... 3

Definition of Terms................................................................... 5

Organization of the Paper............................................................. 6

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . ..... 7

Problems with Definitions of Verbal Abuse....................................... 7

Prevalence and Incidence of Verbal Abuse........................................ 13

Types of Verbal Abuse............................................................... 14

Etiology of Verbal Abuse............................................................ 17

Consequences of Parents' Verbal Abuse........................................... 26

Summary................................................................................ 32

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY......................................................... 35

Participants.............................................................................. 35

Instruments............................................................................... 35

Procedure................................................................................. 43

Methods of Data Analysis.............................................................. 43

Research Questions...................................................................... 44

CHAPTER 4 RESULTS................................................................... 45
 V

PAGE

Reliability of the Instruments ....................................................... '.. 45

Descriptive Statistics of the Emotion Indexes...................................... 45

Inter-Correlations of Emotion Indexes (Pearson Correlation)..................... 46

Regression Analysis................................................................... 49

Independent Simple t-Test.. .. . .. . ......... .. . .. .... ......... .. ...... ... .... .. . .. . ... . . 51

One-Way-ANOVA.. .. ... . .. . .. . .. . .. ............ ....... .. . ......... ......... ...... .. ... 51

CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION............................................................... 54

Research Questions...................................................................... 54

Strengths and Limitations of the Study................................................ 62

Conclusion................................................................................. 63

Implications and Future Research Directions.......................................... 65

REFERENCES................................................................................ 67

APPENDIX A: DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS SCALES

(DASS-21).. .. . .. . ............ ...... ...... .. ....... .. . ............. ...... .. .. 76

APPENDIX B: COOPERSMITH SELF-ESTEEM INVENTORY

(ADULT FORM) .............................................................. 78

APPENDIX C: VERBAL ABUSE MEASURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 79

APPENDIX D: CHILD ATTITUDE TOWARD PARENTS MEASURE............. 84

APPENDIX E: STATE-TRAIT ANGER EXPRESSION INVENTORY ............... 86

 VI

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE PAGE

1 Descriptive Statistics of Emotion Indexes........................................ 46

2 Inter-Correlations Between Emotion Indexes.................................... 47

3 Summary of Regression Analysis for Variables Predicting

The Level of Anger 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

4 ANOVA of Family Configuration ................................................. 52

 1

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

When we hear the word abuse, most of us think of physical or sexual abuse.

Rarely do we think of or even talk about verbal abuse, a form of abuse that goes on

everyday in many people's lives. According to Becker (1998), verbal abuse is one of

many types of psychological maltreatment that adversely affects one's emotional, social,

and intellectual development. Making fun, calling names, and disrespecting are examples

of verbal abuse that can have many damaging effects on a person (American Academy of

Pediatrics, 1995).

Considered a form of emotional abuse, verbal abuse is unique because it takes the

form of behavior that undermines a person's self-esteem or self-confidence and makes

her/him feel guilty. In addition, both the child victim and the adult survivor often find it

difficult to trust their own judgement, and they discredit their own reactions and feelings

(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 1997; Becker, 1998).

Verbal abuse is probably the hardest of all forms of abuse to identify and is the

least understood form of child maltreatment. Its victims are often dismissed simply

because their wounds are not visible (National Research Council, 1993). In other words,

verbal abuse is not like physical and sexual abuse, which are against the law and are

responded to by medical and social service authorities or even by the police. Verbal

abuse is a more subtle form of abuse which is hard for an outsider to recognize or

intervene in, and it is not against the law (Oates, 1996).

 2

Emotional abuse is a serious, widespread problem with many destructive

consequences for the individuals (Healthy Way Magazine, 1997). If a parent intentionally

or deliberately uses a pattern of inappropriate emotional responses, the child can be said

to have experienced emotional abuse (O'Hagan, 1993). It is important to recognize the

deep and persistent effects of verbal abuse (American Academy of Pediatrics, 1995).

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between verbal abuse and

self-esteem, depression, stress, anxiety, anger, and how it impacts a child's relationship

with one or both parents.

Statement of the Problem

Verbal abuse does not leave physical injuries. Although it continues, there is

usually no visible evidence which would precipitate health, welfare, or criminal justice

professionals to identify it (Oates, 1996). For that reason, emotional abuse is the most

hidden form of child psychological maltreatment (Tomison & Tucci, 1997).

Verbal abuse accounts for approximately 7% of nearly 3 million reported cases of

emotional abuse across the United States (Hart, Brassard, & Karlson, 1996). However,

the absence of an operational definition means that the extent of emotional abuse is

unknown (National Research Council, 1993).

Verbal abuse is also widespread in other countries. For example, the most recent

national Australian data, produced by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare,

indicated that in 1995-1996 emotional abuse cases which included verbal abuse

accounted for 31 % of substantiated child maltreatment cases (Broadbent & Bentley,

1997).
 3

Little research has been done on the extent of verbal abuse. Most of what are

called incidence or prevalence studies only provide information on emotional abuse cases

that have been reported to human services agencies (Vissing et al., 1991). Based on 1986

data of emotional abuse, the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children

estimated a rate of only 0.54 cases reported per 1,000 children.

The average age of a maltreated child was 7 years, compared to 5 years for those

children who were reported for major physical abuse. Verbally abused children were

more likely to come from single parent families and have parents with health problems

and economic/living problems (Brassard & Hardy, 1997).

Significance of the Problem

Many people have experienced verbal abuse. Tragically, many never realize that

their experiences with verbally abusive adults (parents) were twisted and that not

everyone lives with intimidation, ridicule, frequent criticism, unfair treatment, or

withdrawal of love. Even though verbal abuse is the most common form of emotional

abuse, this type of mistreatment is not often identified for what it is. Its survivors seldom

understand why they have feelings of depression, anxiety, stress, and have low self-

esteem. Emotional abuse is insidious and rampant in every society. We need to recognize

and act against it, whether our goal is to help others, to enjoy more fulfilling relationships

ourselves, or to raise healthy children (Royse, 1997).

The causes and consequences of verbal abuse are quite complex. It is particularly

difficult to understand the effects this kind of child maltreatment has on the emotional

development of children. This complexity is related in part to the fact that maltreated
 4

children typically experience additional environmental conditions, such as parental

marital discord and a socio-economic disadvantage. Child maltreatment involves harm to

the psychological health of a child. Depending on the specific circumstances, a wide

range of effects on a child's healthy development can ensue. The effects of verbal abuse

may be brief, lasting for hours or days, long-term, or perhaps permanent. The depression,

anxiety, and stress a child might experience could manifest itself in many ways, including

psychosomatic conditions such as stomachaches, chest pains, and headaches. Although

these problems are not specific to maltreatment, it is likely that an association does exist

(Starr & Wolfe, 1991).

A critical aspect of verbal abuse prevention is knowing its underlying causes and

consequences. Therefore, this study examines some of the consequences by looking at the

variables of depression, anxiety, stress, self-esteem, anger, and relationships with parents.

This study investigated the following questions:

1. What are the relationships between verbal abuse and the affective variables of

depression, anxiety, stress, anger, and self-esteem?

2. Does the child's attitude toward his/her mother/father relate to verbal abuse?

3. Are there gender differences in verbal abuse?

4. Does the family configuration affect (i.e., intact family, lived with

mother/father, foster family, and other step father/mother) relate to verbal abuse?
 5

Definitions of Terms

The following definitions will be used in this study:

1. Emotional Abuse: any injury that introduces emotional pain in the child (in the

form of fear, humiliation, distress, despair, etc.). The resulting pain inhibits the child

from spontaneous, appropriate, positive, emotional expression. It also impairs the

individual's emotional development (O'Hagan, 1995).

2. Verbal Abuse: communication intended to cause psychological pain to another

person or communication perceived as having that intent. The communicative act may be

active or passive, and verbal or non-verbal. Examples include name calling or nasty

remarks (active, verbal), slamming a door or smashing something (active, nonverbal),

and stony silence or sulking (passive, non-verbal); (Vissing, Straus, Gelles, & Harrop,

1991).

3. Psychological Maltreatment: a concerted attack by an adult on a child's

development of self and social competence, a pattern of psychologically destructive

behavior that takes five forms: rejecting, isolating, terrorizing, ignoring, corrupting

(Garbarino, Guttman, & Seeley, 1986).

Because the terms emotional abuse and psychological maltreatment have been

used to describe a host of symptoms, including verbal abuse, for the purpose of this study

the words verbal abuse, psychological maltreatment, and emotional abuse will be used

interchangeably.
 6

Organization of the Paper

The statement of the problem, significance, and definitions are described in

Chapter One. Chapter Two, will discuss problems with the definitions of verbal abuse,

prevalence and incidence, types of verbal abuse, the etiology of verbal abuse and

consequences of verbal abuse. Chapter Three will describe the methodology used in this

study and will include the participants, instruments, and procedure. Chapter Four will

report the findings of the study. Chapter Five will present a discussion of the findings,

some limitations of the study, and offer implications and future directions.
 7

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter presents the literature review on verbal abuse organized in five parts:

(a) problems with definitions of verbal abuse; (b) prevalence and incidence of verbal

abuse; (c) types of verbal abuse; (d) etiology of verbal abuse; (e) consequences of verbal

abuse; and (f) chapter summary.

Problems with Definitions of Verbal Abuse

During the last two decades, physical and sexual abuse have become the focus of

public interest. However, the problem of psychological abuse, which includes verbal

abuse, should likewise be considered. The increasing rate of emotional /verbal abuse over

the last decades and its dangerous effects on children have shown researchers the need to

better define this fmm of child maltreatme~t and to clarify the criteria for intervention on

the part of courts, welfare departments, and child-protection organizations. For this

reason, the first part of this chapter focuses on the problems with definitions of verbal

abuse.

Klosinki (1993) pointed out that early in this century researchers in

psychoanalysis and developmental psychology focused on specific aspects of emotional

abuse under terms such as analytic depression and mother-child separation. Recent

research indicated that neither verbal abuse nor its related concepts such as psychological

abuse or maltreatment have a standard definition (Hart, Germain, & Brassard, 1987). In

the child abuse literature, terms such as psychological abuse (Garbarino et al., 1986;

McGee & Wolfe, 1989), verbal abuse (Warner, Parker, & Calhoun, 1984), emotional
 8

abuse (O'Hagan, 1995), emotional maltreatment, and psychological maltreatment tended

to predominate.

Still others used the terms mental injury (National Center on Child Abuse and

Neglect, 1992), and verbal aggression (Vissing et al., 1991). Each of these concepts is

intertwined with the others. Since the similarities and differences in the definitions have

not been fully expressed theoretically, it is difficult to know which of these terms to use.

Brassard, Hart, and Hardy (1993) stated that "definitions produced so far have been

inadequate" (p. 717). The following section will provide definitions of verbal abuse,

emotional abuse, and psychological maltreatment which will then be used

interchangeably in the rest of this paper.

Verbal Abuse

Vissing et al. (1991, p. 225) defined verbal abuse as:

A communication intended to cause psychological pain to another person, or a

communication perceived as having that intent. The communicative act may be
active or passive, and verbal or nonverbal. Examples include name-calling or
nasty remarks (active, verbal), slamming a door or smashing something (active,
nonverbal), and stony silence or sulking {passive, nonverbal).

They used the term "verbal /symbolic" because they believed that nonverbal

communication is extremely important for all human interaction, including offensive

communications. Verbal abuse as Vissing et al. defined it may be inflicted as a means to

some other end. For example, verbal abuse would be a parent who attempts to end some

unpleasant behavior by exclaiming, "Stop it, stupid." This is what Gelles and Straus

(1979) identified as "instmmental aggression." Moreover, the verbal/symbolic

aggression may be an end in itself. For example, a parent angry with a child may express
 9

the anger by a hurtful remark such as "you are a dummy, and you don't understand

anything I say." Gelles and Straus labeled this "expressive aggression."

Infante (1989) referred to verbal abuse as verbal aggression and defined it as the

tendency to attack the self-concept of another person in order to cause psychological

pain. In addition, he believed that the destructiveness of verbal abuse included unpleasant

feelings during communication such as embarrassment and interpersonal distrust.

Bach and Deutsch (1980) described verbal abuse as "crazyrnaking," a form of

control between individuals (parent-child interaction), or holding power over another,

which can seriously impair a child capacity to recognize and deal with the reality of

his/her parent-child relationship.

Emotional Abuse

According to O'Hagan (1995), emotional abuse is "the sustained, repetitive,

inappropriate emotional response to the child's expression of emotion and its

accompanying expressive behavior" (p. 28). Therefore, she believed such abuse inhibits

the child's capacity for spontaneous, positive, and appropriate emotional expression. In

addition, O'Hagan believed that emotional abuse impairs emotional and mental life and

development. In seeking a definition of emotional abuse, she recommended

concentrating on the effects the abuse has on a child's emotional life and mental

development. O'Hagan's definition pointed out that parents are not the only individuals

who emotionally and psychologically abuse children (the words " parents " and

"caregivers" do not appear in her definition). O'Hagan concluded, emotional abuse is the

appropriate term when the focus is the impairment of the child's mental life. Thus,
 10

emotional abuse can undermine the development of children's cognitive competency and

social skills and can have a detrimental effect on children's trust and on the way they

form relationships and express emotions.

The National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN) (1992) referred to

emotional/psychological abuse as mental injury which included acts or omissions by the

parents or other persons responsible for the child's care that have caused, or could cause,

serious behavioral, cognitive, emotional, or mental disorders. The NCCAN stated that

some parental acts without any evident harm to the child's behavior, such as scapegoating

or belittling, require intervention by the Child Protective Services (CPS).

McGee and Wolfe (1991) noted that many legal and procedural definitions of

emotional abuse were so broad that caseworkers commonly assumed emotional abuse

rarely existed on its own. Although emotional abuse can occur alone, Claussen and

Crittenden (1991) identified this form of abuse as the core component and major

destructive force in all types of child abuse.

Pillari (1991) argued that emotional abuse is intergenerational, highlighting

deeply rooted patterns of scapegoating in families where children become the source of

blame for the parents' inability to resolve the detrimental consequences of their own

experiences ofrejection and family trauma. Pillari noted that some professional systems

continue to blame children for parental disturbances, further compounding the effects on

the child and minimizing the potential for parents to change behaviors and attitudes

towards children.
 11

Psychological Maltreatment

Wiehe (1998) defined psychological maltreatment as verbal behavior in which an

adult attacks a child 's self-esteem and social competence. This form of abuse is seen, for

example, in comments made with intent to ridicule, insult, threaten, or belittle the child.

Because of the absence of physical evidence, these verbal acts make psychological

maltreatment difficult to report.

Psychological maltreatment, according to Brassard, Hart, and Hardy (1993), is "a

repeated pattern of behavior that conveys to children that they are worthless, unloved,

unwanted, or only of value in meeting others" (p. 715). They pointed out that the word

psychological is used instead of emotional because it includes the cognitive and

interpersonal aspects.

From a developmental psychopathology perspective, McGee and Wolfe (1991)

constructed their research definition based on child and parent interaction or

communication. They concluded that psychological maltreatment is any communication

that could undermine a child's resolution of important developmental tasks. Thus, it is

the message given to the child that is critical to the child's experience of the abuse. For

example, yelling and shouting at a child communicates "I don't love you."

Shenglod (1989) used the term "soul murder" to refer to psychological

maltreatment and defined it as the deliberate attempt to destroy or compromise the

separate identity of another person. Therefore, murdering someone's soul mean depriving

the victim of the ability to feel joy and love as a separate person. Shengold said that the

victims (children) of soul murder remained possessed by their abusers (parents).

 12

According to Garbarino et al. (1986), psychological maltreatment is " a concerted

attack by an adult on a child 's development of self and social competence, a pattern of

physically destructive behavior and it takes five forms: rejecting, isolating, terrorizing,

ignoring, and corrupting" (p. 8).

However, some issues arise from their definition. First, the word "concerted"

implies that the behavior is intentional and planned. Children are very often

psychologically abused without those responsible being aware of it (O'Hagan, 1993).

Second, the term "by an adult" is limited. Peer groups of any age are capable of

psychologically destructive behavior, and the current exposure of the extent and bullying

in schools suggests this is true (Besag, 1989).

Third, replacing the term "psychically destructive" with the term psychological

maltreatment leaves the definition subject to too many interpretations. Fourth, the five

forms of behavior identified in this definition may not be psychically destructive. Some

are, in fact, inappropriate responses, which nearly all parents will inflict upon their

children consciously or unconsciously at some time during their children's lives

(O'Hagan, 1995).

Each of the five forms of behavior cited would be psychologically destructive if it

was active and repetitive over long periods of time. Nevertheless, each need not be

psychologically destructive if it is merely an untypical isolated behavior, of which all

parents are capable. Therefore, children who experience all of Garbarino's types of

psychological maltreatment, repeatedly, throughout their childhood will have their

emotional development affected (O'Hagan, 1995).

 13

Prevalence and Incidence of Verbal Abuse

There has been little research on the prevalence of verbal abuse. Most of the

research is from what are called incidence reports which only provide information on the

extent of verbal abuse that has co-occurred with other types of child maltreatment known

to the Child Protective Services (CPS).

Prevalence

According to NCCAN (1996) emotional abuse accounted for approximately 52%

of all reported cases of child maltreatment across the United States. The National

Incidence Study-3 (NIS-3) indicated that emotional abuse occurs in children ages 8 and

older. That data suggested victims of emotional abuse were 53% females and 47% males.

Furthermore, the data showed an estimated 77% to 87% of children at risk of being

maltreated in all types of maltreatment forms in single and intact parent families. The

NIS-3 estimated the number of emotionally abused children was 183% higher than the

previous estimate (188,100 cases in 1986 versus 532,200 in 1993).

In a survey of 3,345 parents with a child under 18 years of age, 63% reported one

or more types of verbal abuse (Vissing et al., 1991). A study by Claussen and Crittenden

(1991) proved that 19% of psychological maltreatment usually co-occurred with physical

abuse. Results from a survey by Daro, Abrahams, and Robson ( 1988) found that 70% of

American adults believed that there would be harmful effects on children's emotional

development as a consequence of constant yelling and swearing at children.

 14

Incidence

The NIS-3 (1996) reflected a 67% increase in child emotional maltreatment in

cases over the NIS-2 in 1986 and NIS-1 in 1980. The Vissing et al. (1991) study

investigated parents' verbal aggression. Results indicated that 63.4% of children had

experienced at least one incident of verbal /symbolic abuse. Because the data in the

Vissing et al. study are based on self-reports of violent behavior, some parents will not

accurately report the number of times they have verbally attacked their children. In

addition, Vissing et al. found that 84% of fathers and 90% of mothers acknowledged

witnessing verbal /symbolic violence. These results are supported by studies that report

frequency of parental verbal abuse at close to 90% (Briere & Runtz, 1988).

However, the absence of operational definitions and true standards of severity

suggested that the accurate frequency of emotional abuse is still unknown (National

Research Council, 1993).

Types of Verbal Abuse

According to the American Academy for Child and Adolescence Psychiatry

(1998), verbal abuse included acts, or the failure to act, by parents or caretakers that have

caused or could cause serious behavioral, cognitive, emotional, or mental disorders. This

could include parents using extreme forms of punishment, such as a child's' confinement

in a closet or dark room, being tied to a chair for long periods of time, threatening, or

terrorizing a child. Less severe acts, but no less damaging, are belittling or rejecting

treatment, using derogatory terms to describe the child, and habitual scapegoating or

blaming.
 15

Brassard and Hardy (1997) identified six forms of child maltreatment. The first

was called "spurning" which included verbal and nonverbal acts that reject and degrade a

child. This included belittling, degrading, and other nonphysical forms of open criticism

or rejection. Moreover, spurning also involved shaming and/or ridiculing the child for

showing normal emotions such as affection, grief, or sorrow, and consistently singling

out one child to humiliate and punish, to perform most of the household chores, or to

receive fewer rewards and public humiliation.

The second form was called "terrorizing." This included placing a child in

unpredictable or chaotic circumstances; setting rigid or unrealistic expectations with

threat of loss, harm, or danger if they are not met; threatening violence against the child;

and threatening violence against child objects.

"Exploiting /corrupting" was the third form of maltreatment from parent(s) acts

that encouraged the child to develop inappropriate behaviors such as self..:destructive,

maladaptive behaviors. It also included modeling, anti-social behavior (e.g., substance

abuse, violence to or corruption of others); and modeling inappropriate behavior ( e.g.,

living the parent's unfulfilled dreams).

"Denying emotional responsiveness" (ignoring) was the fourth form of

maltreatment where the parent(s) ignored the child's attempts to interact and showed no

emotion in interactions with the child. Denying emotional responsiveness meant being

detached and uninvolved through lack of motivation and failing to express affection,

caring, and love for the child.

 16

The fifth form of child maltreatment was "isolating" where the parent(s)

consistently denied the child opportunities for interacting/communicating with peers or

adults inside or outside the home. Isolating included confining the child or placing

unreasonable limitations on the child's freedom within his/her environment, and placing

unreasonable limitations or restrictions on social interactions with peers or adults in the

community.

"Mental health, medical, and educational neglect" was the sixth and final form of

maltreatment where the parent(s) ignored, refused to allow, or failed to provide the

necessary treatment for the child's mental health, medical, and educational problems or

needs of the child.

The subtype definitions of child maltreatment incorporated family violence under

the category of terrorizing or threatening. Some systems included family violence as a

separate category of maltreatment while others included it under psychological or

emotional maltreatment.

Briere (1992) summarized the major forms of parental verbal abuse by drawing

upon the work of several investigators (e.g., Hart et al., 1987): (a) Rejection, causing the

child to feel unworthy or unacceptable; (b) degradation, criticism, humiliation,

stigmatization, deprivation of dignity, leading to feelings of inferiority; (c) terrorization,

in which the child is verbally assaulted, frightened, and threatened with physical or

psychological harm; (d) isolation, in which the child is deprived of social contacts outside

of the family; (e) corruption, in which the child is encouraged to engage in antisocial

behaviors; (f) lack of emotional responsiveness, in which the child is deprived ofloving,
 17

sensitive caregiving, or is ignored and neglected; and (g) unreliable or inconsistent

parenting with contradictory parental demands.

According to Garbarino et al. (1986), psychological maltreatment took five forms:

(a) rejecting, the adult refused to acknowledge the child's worth and the legitimacy of the

child's needs; (b) isolating, the adult cut the child off from normal social experiences,

prevented the child from forming friendships, and made the child believe that he or she

was alone in the world; (c) terrorizing, the adult verbally assaulted the child, created a

climate of fear, bullied, frightened the child, and made the child believe that the world

was capricious and hostile; (d) ignoring, the adult deprived the child of essential

stimulation and responsiveness, stifling emotional growth and intellectual development;

(e) corrupting. the adult mis-socialized the child, stimulated the child to engage in

destructive antisocial behavior, reinforced that deviance, and made the child unfit for

normal social experience.

Garbarino et al. (1986) also argued that each of the five forms of psychological

maltreatment had a differential effect on children depending on their passage through the

four major developmental stages of infancy, early childhood, school age, and

adolescence. Hart, Germain, and Brassard (1987) extended Garbarino's original typology

of psychological maltreatment by including two other behaviors: The denial of emotional

responsiveness and behaviors which degrade children.

Etiology of Verbal Abuse

What are the causes of parents' verbal abuse? Why do parents verbally abuse their

children? Understanding the causes and reasons for verbal abuse may help efforts to
 18

recognize its negative impacts on children's emotional development and may help prevent

it. According to the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (1996), a variety of

manifestations caused child maltreatment. While there may be less agreement about

specific causes, most will agree that child maltreatment occurred as a result of multiple

forces that impact the family interactions and eventually resulted in child maltreatment.

Since the 1970s when the socio-cultural context of child maltreatment in families

was recognized (National Research Council, 1993), researchers have investigated the

effects of parent, child, and environmental factors on maltreatment. Marital configuration

and/or family structure have been frequently investigated as social factors which may

affect maltreatment. While investigations of single variables, like family structure, have

contributed to the identification of essential variables associated with child maltreatment,

they have neither produced a causal explanation of child maltreatment nor enabled the

identification of causal relationships between factors. Overall, it is generally

acknowledged that no single factor can fully explain why maltreatment occurred

(National Research Council, 1993; NIS-3, 1996).

According to Holder and Coery (1987), children were at risk of maltreatment as a

result of the pattern of interaction between themselves, their families, and environments.

It must be emphasized that while certain factors may often be present among families

where maltreatment occurred, that does not mean the presence of these factors will

always result in maltreatment in another family. In this section, the focus will be on some

of the factors associated with child maltreatment. The four factors discussed are (a) child
 19

characteristics, (b) characteristics of parental factors, (c) family configurations (single,

intact, step families), and (d) environment factors.

Child Characteristics

Iwaniec (1995) believed that children of different ages appeared to show

differing responses associated with maltreatment. A child's temperament could arouse

resentment or helplessness in their parents. In addition, she believed that some children

were more difficult than others. Children who were perceived as "different" or "difficult"

by their parents were at greater risk for being maltreated. Browne and Finkelhor ( 1988)

believed that the child's behavior, such as unresponsiveness, could increase the likelihood

of maltreatment particularly if a parent had a poor ability to empathize with the child and

had difficulty controlling his/her emotions.

Bryer, Nelson, Miller, and Krol (1987) argued that some children might

unconsciously have contributed to their victimization by their problematic behaviors that

made it difficult for the parent(s) to relate to them. Furthermore, they believed that a child

who constantly screamed or cried was less capable of soliciting nurturing responses from

his/her parents who lacked emotional support and had few nurturing skills.

According to Smith (1984), certain children were more physically and

emotionally vulnerable than others to be maltreated by their parents. Factors such as the

child's age, physical, mental, emotional, and social development could greatly increase or

decrease the likelihood of maltreatment, depending on the interactions of these

characteristics with parental factors including the parent-child relationship, single parent

families, intact families, and step families.

 20

Characteristics of Parental Factors

Oates (1996) pointed out a common feature in parents who emotionally abused

their children-- they did not know about their children's different developmental stages.

She believed that emotional abuse could occur in all families and in all social

backgrounds. Furthermore, some parents were unable to meet their children's

psychological needs, because they lacked respect for their children's thoughts and

feelings. In addition, some parents were inconsistent in their parenting style, and

therefore, their children received conflicting contradictory messages and saw their

parents as unreliable. She concluded that emotionally abusing parents lacked parenting

skills and child management techniques.

Ito (1995) believed that adults (parents) who were victims of verbal abuse might

carry intense feelings of repressed anger toward their abusers, which they vented on their

own children through cruel or violent behavior.

O'Hagan (1993) believed frequent quarrels between parents, rejection, and cruelty

(verbal put-downs) when dealing with their children, and a stressful environment could

have devastating impacts on children and their parents. In addition, the family income

was an important factor for maltreated children.

Garbarino et al. (1986) stated that the family was a set of developing individuals

who were constantly engaged in creating conceptions of who they were, as well as trying

to comprehend the situations they encountered. Thus, the family was a social system in

its own right. When family members communicated with each other, their behavior

showed how they perceived themselves and others. Garbarino et al. concluded that we
 21

need to understand how each family members' perception of self and others influenced

the interactions with the previously developed patterns of communication and with

general personal characteristics of family members to create unique patterns of

interaction and mutual behaviors.

In the United Kingdom, Browne and Stevenson (as cited in Sheerer, 1997)

identified numerous factors that may lead to parental verbal abuse. These included: a

history of parental indifference, intolerance or over-anxiousness towards the child, family

violence, socio-economic problems (unemployment), premature birth or low birth weight

of child, a parental history of childhood maltreatment, a step-parent in the family, single

or separated parent, young mother, an infant separated from mother for more than 24

hours post-delivery, less than 18 months between the birth of children, an infant never

breastfed, and an infants' mental or physical disability.

Much of the research done on parental factors focused on mothers from low

socio-economic backgrounds (National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, 1996;

National Research Council, 1993). However, little research on verbal abuse has been

done on the role of fathers, stepfathers, or other family members, except in the case of

sexual abuse (Corby, 1993). Thus, attempts to assess relationships within the family

structure and child maltreatment have been somewhat limited.

Family Configuration

Tomison (1996) stated that the place of children in the family and roles of

parenthood have become increasingly complex and problematic. Children are now
 22

significantly more likely to be raised by single families, and large numbers of children

live in blended families (step families).

Clulow (1993) believed that in the last 25 years significant changes in family

structure have been experienced in countries around the world. Official statistics showed

that Australia, the United States, and most European countries have experienced higher

rates of divorce, falling marriage rates, and an increase in the number of couples living

together outside of marriage. There has been concern about the changing shape of the

family, specifically the effects that changes in family structure have on parenting and

children's behavior. Corby (1993) argued that these changes to family structure add

increasing pressures on families to make society's expectations of adequate family

functioning even more difficult to achieve.

Single parent families. Iwaniec (1995) stated that single parents dominated among

abusive parents. They were young, immature, and unprepared for the responsibilities they

face. They also lacked family support and suffered from social isolation. Therefore, a

parent-child interaction in these families was marked by unresponsiveness to the

children's needs, who tended to become withdrawn and detached. Iwaniec suggested that

mothers were more likely to maltreat their children when fathers were uninvolved in

child rearing.

Creighton and Noyes (1989) found that in England one-third of the children

reported for emotional abuse resided with a single parent. They concluded that poverty,

unemployment, racial segregation, abandoned housing, and female-headed households

were all associated with a higher incidence of maltreatment.

 23

Ney (1988) found that maltreated mothers verbally abused their children the same

way they had been abused by their parents. Ney research done in 1987 suggested that

verbal abuse is more likely to be transmitted intergenerational than physical abuse. Ney

concluded that to prevent mothers from maltreating their children, the mothers needed to

know that what happened to them during their childhood was abuse, and they needed to

understand the effects of the abuse on them. Furthermore, she suggested that verbal abuse

left deeper scars than physical and sexual abuse. Biller and Solomon (1986) believed that

in a number of single parent families, mothers outnumbered fathers in committing many

types of maltreatment, including verbal abuse.

Intact families. Iwaniec (1995) pointed out that in a two-parent family some

parents are reserved and undemonstrative. Therefore, the emotional contact with their

children is restricted. Some, on the other hand, might be tired and overwhelmed with

responsibilities of child rearing and may be depressed so their emotional availability to

their children was restricted. This may cause unintentional verbal abuse.

The National Research Council (1993) identified some characteristics in

maltreating parents such as low self-esteem, low intelligence, ego deficiency, impulsivity,

hostility, isolation and loneliness, anxiety, depression and apathy, rigidity, fear of

rejection, low frustration tolerance, narcissism, fearfulness, immaturity, and dependency.

Biller and Solomon (1986) argued that in two-parent families mothers seemed

more likely to maltreat or to overprotect their children when fathers did not share

parenting responsibilities. Fathers who were very controlling, punitive, and authoritarian

were likely to have children who had serious identity and relationship problems. Some
 24

parents, especially fathers in a two-parent family, have difficulty bonding with their

child. In addition, the quality of the father-mother relationship factor in a two-parent

family was a very important because an imbalance can cause maltreatment to the child.

Garbarino et al. (1986) believed that parents who gave inappropriate responses to

a child often did so because they lacked respect for the child's personality, thoughts,

feelings, and behaviors. Such parents often undervalued the child's accomplishments or

dismissed the child's limitations and weaknesses. They may have became sarcastic

toward the child and conveyed an overall message of personal insignificance and

worthlessness. They taught the children that they (the children) were not to be respected

and valued.

The most consistent finding in the child abuse literature was that maltreating

parents often reported having been physically, sexually, or emotionally abused or

neglected as children.

Step families. Though it was widely assumed that children were at greater risk of

maltreatment in step families (stepfather), few studies have actually investigated the

relationship between step families (stepfather) and maltreatment. The National Research

Council (1993) noted that children who had a stepfather were at greater risk of child

maltreatment. Furthermore, one study (Abel, Becker, Cunnigham-Rathner, Mitttelman, &

Rouleau, as cited in the National Research Council, 1993) found that 49% of fathers and

stepfathers were at risk of abusing their stepchildren and their own children.

Creighton and Noyes (1989) found that in 32% of physical abuse cases the child

resided with one natural parent (usually the mother) and one substitute parent (usually
 25

male). Blended families were identified in 15% of neglect cases, 11 % of failure to thrive

cases, and 36% of emotional abuse cases, and were thus clearly over-represented in the

child abuse population. As mentioned above, this over-representation is commonly

reported among families suspected of child maltreatment and/or those with a history of

maltreating their children (National Research Council, 1993).

Environmental Factors

According to the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (1996), the

incidence of child maltreatment was higher in some cultures, societies, and communities

than others. Moreover, what one culture defined as child abuse and neglect may be a

socially acceptable interaction in another culture. Economic values concerning the role of

the child in the family, attitudes about the use of punishment, and the degree of social

support for parents seemed to account for these differences.

In an investigation of the effects of community influences on child maltreatment,

Garbarino et al. (1986) stated that families stressed by their everyday living and

overwhelmed by their child care responsibilities tended to lose whatever positive coping

skills they may have possessed and slipped into an escalating pattern of child

maltreatment. Although they may have relationships with other families in the

community, Garbarino et al. concluded that since all families suffered from the same

situation and none knew how to get out of it, these families did not function as a positive

social support. Rather, they served as a mechanism for reinforcing the apathetic and futile

worldview that the world is unjust and people like them always suffer. These networks
 26

also reinforced the idea in the parents that child maltreatment was justified under such

circumstances.

Consequences of Parents' Verbal Abuse

Insulting names, degrading comments, and belittling criticism can have dramatic

effects on children's emotional development. It is believed that verbally abused children

may developed many problems related to the maltreatment in their lives, and many of

these problems carried on into adulthood. It is believed that verbal abuse can last over a

long time and its effects increased and became more severe. The old saying "sticks and

stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me" had no truth. A child,

teenager, or young adult could have been given the message by parents that showing

emotions, especially anger, was wrong, shameful, and weak. Therefore, children

internalized the anger that became internalized as self-blame.

Haj-Yahia and Noursi (1998) found maltreated children who witnessed and

experienced verbal abuse in their environments had depression, low self-esteem,

increased anxieties, and would become abusive parents later in life. Day (1998) also

believed an environment of parents; verbal abuse had an effect on children's low self-

esteem and other emotional consequences. Day said that verbal abuse could damage

children's sense of self-perception from constant belittling and cause anti-social

interaction skills. Day noted that babies raised in an emotionally barren environment that

were not held or touched in a loving way did not thrive properly. Name-calling or

humiliation, threats or other emotional mistreatments were behaviors that produced

children who felt worthless and inadequate. Day concluded that from constant
 27

humiliation the victims of verbal abuse would withdraw from others. Conversely, this

could limit a child's capacity to learn in school, and the child might become unable to

have social interactions.

According to the National Institute of Justice (1997), the consequences of parental

verbal abuse on children's developmental stages are as follows: (a) infants had poor

health, poor sleep habits, excessive screaming, attachment disorders, and failure to thrive;

(b) preschoolers exhibited terror, shaking, stuttering, decreased cognitive skills,

regression, aggression, attacking peers in distress, and poor appetite; (c) school-aged

children experienced developmental delays, sleep disturbances, speech and hearing

difficulties, eating disturbances, psychosomatic complaints, shaking, and nail-biting.

They also startled easily, showed low cognition, diminished memory, suppression of

affect, hyper-vigilance, and disruptive classroom behavior and aggression; (d)

adolescents showed poor school performance (and some may have dropped out of

school), as well as precocious sexual behavior, drug use, antisocial behavior feelings of

guilt and shame, and problems with peers.

Vachss (1994) believed that a child's stage of development played an important

role in whether or not parental actions were considered psychological maltreatment. For

example, some specific acts of abuse may have a more devastating effect on a younger

child in his/her early stages of development than on adolescents or adults.

Other researchers found additional connections between the consequences of

emotional abuse on adult functioning. Erickson and Egeland (1999) believed that

emotionally abused children learned at an early age that their emotional needs were not
 28

met, which resulted in a feeling that they were not valuable human beings. They learned

not only that they could not trust the adults who should care for them, but also that they

were powerless to solicit the care they needed. They (emotionally abused children) were

likely to be at-risk for depression or have problems with aggression and self-control.

Although the effects of emotional abuse on adults have not been extensively

studied, Sheerer (1997) suggested that emotional abuse appeared to be related to an

adult's feelings of depression, hostility, anger, shame, and general social and

psychological maladjustment. However, Walker (1994) believed that adults who were

victims of repeated trauma (verbal abuse) might have diminished of internal

psychological defenses and resources necessary to fend off the negative effects of verbal

abuse over time.

Kiser, Heston, Millsap, and Pruitt (1991) found symptoms of depression and

severe anxiety in their sample of maltreated children and made similar findings. They

believed that a maltreated child might lead a life of incompetence and failure at school,

on the job, and in marriage. These were common in the histories of abusive adults. This is

a natural accompaniment for a person with low self-esteem, a sense of helplessness, and

depression.

Varia, Abidin, and Dass (1996, p. 522) wrote about the effects of maltreatment on

both genders:

Men are more likely to utilize a denying coping strategy to deal with past abuse.
Men are taught to deny their affect because being emotional is not considered
masculine (Huston, 1983; Skitka & Maslach, 1990). Perhaps, the lack of
emotional expression can lead to an employment of more avoidance and
minimizing coping strategies in an attempt to obscure earlier trauma. Through
 29

societal sex role expectations, males are taught to deal with emotionally difficult
events in a very different manner than females. (Bern, Martyna, &Watson, 1976)

Hart, Germain, and Brassard (1987) believed that boys and girls who lived with

verbally abusive parents experienced significant emotional trauma. They experienced

fear, anxiety, confusion, anger, and disruption in their lives.

Children in single parent families (mother) suffered numerous consequences of

verbal abuse. They could become withdrawn, unresponsive, fearful, anxious, and socially

and emotionally isolated (Iwaniec, 1995). Biller and Solomon (1986) said the paternally

deprived child's insecurity in interpersonal relationships could contribute to feelings of

anxiety and low self-esteem. Bowlby (1980) believed that parents who paid little of

attention to the child's needs, or were consistently unwilling or unable to meet the child's

emotional needs might lead the child to develop a sense of unworthiness.

Tucker-Ladd (1,999) believed that maltreated children usually felt helpless and

were more likely to sulk, pout, look unhappy, or lay a guilt trip on something than to get

angry. Erickson and Egeland (1999) indicated that early psychological maltreatment may

have lasting effects on children, leading them to experience many of the same problems

as those who have been physically and sexually abused. They also believed that

maltreated children became quickly conditioned to see themselves as worthless and as

deserving of the terrible abuse they suffered. They concluded that although abused

children may grow physically, emotionally they stay at the level of hurt, angry, and

confusion, and they do not trust others.

Hoglund and Nicholas (1995) found that increased exposure to emotional abuse

was related to expressed and unexpressed anger. Macpherson (1984) pointed out that all
 30

maltreated individuals had problems expressing anger. Although maltreatment made the

individual very angry, he or she was conditioned not to express it in direct or healthy

ways. A direct expression of anger was difficult, not only because it might bring

retaliation by the parent, but also because it did not seem right. From the child's

perspective, the situation looked like this: "My parents are hurting me and this makes me

mad; but how can I get angry at them if I also believe they are right and that I deserve to

be hurt?" (p. 53).

Osofsky and Fenichel (1994) believed that maltreated children might suffer from

cognitive, emotional, and social impairment in addition to physical disabilities. Many

studies have pointed to an association between a history of childhood maltreatment and

various psychiatric disorders including depression, personality disorders, anxiety,

substance abuse, and suicidal behavior. These studies were notable because they

demonstrated that emotional abuse could be even more devastating than physical and

sexual abuse. It is possible that emotional abuse served as a mediating factor that had not

been considered in other studies of childhood maltreatment and adult functioning.

Consequences of parents' verbal abuse such as depression, anxiety, and antisocial

behavior have been associated with disrupted social relations, social isolation,

unavailability, a failure to use social supports, and an inability to cope with stress

(National Research Council, 1993).

Stone (1993) suggested that emotionally abused children exhibited depressive

symptoms sufficiently severe to warrant a depressive diagnosis. He also pointed out that
 31

emotional abuse had more negative effects on children than any other form of abuse

(physical, sexual).

According to Vissing et al. (1991), a child who was not hit but was constantly

told that he or she was unworthy will have low self-esteem. They believed that parental

verbal abuse was directly related to the behavior problems of the child. They believed

that the more frequent the rate of verbal abuse for the parent, the greater the probability

of psychosocial behavior problems by the child. Vissing et al. concluded that parents'

verbal abuse affected all age groups, both sexes, and all families regardless of their socio-

economic status.

Moore ( 1991) believed that less severe forms of early emotional abuse might

produce babies who grew into anxious and insecure children who were slow to develop

or who might have low self-esteem. Other studies focused on the critical period of

mother - infant attachment during the first few months of life, revealing a dysfunctional

pattern among depressed parents characterized by low involvement or responsiveness to

their children (Sheerer, 1997; Stone, 1993).

Verbal abuse was difficult to define because of wide discrepancies in what people

considered verbal abuse. Hart, Germain, and Brassard (1987) suggested that what one

child considered as abusive might not be the case for another. Moreover, what one adult

would consider abusive behavior, such as yelling, another adult may consider unpleasant

but not abusive, and yet a third adult may consider fair game. For example, a person who

experienced infrequent degrading by name-calling may not experience this as abuse, but
 32

another person who is criticized on a daily basis for many years may feel devastated by

the slightest criticism.

Martin (1980) summarized three main points about psychological consequences

of maltreatment. Martin's first point was that abused children were unhappy children and

lacked the capacity to enjoy age-appropriate play activities. This could take the form of

seriousness, which probably reflected clinical depression. Martin 's second point dealt

with object relations. He believed that maltreated children had not learned to have healthy

age-appropriate relationships with adults or peers. Instead, they (emotionally abused

children) had feelings of an impaired sense of trust.

The third and final point is that a healthy environment for the maltreated child

was very important for his /her well-being. In such a healthy environment, the maltreated

child would be well-adjusted and his/her emotional needs would be considered. Martin

concluded that without a healthy environment the abused child's behavior would be shy,

fearful, and anxious.

Summary

There did not seem to be a standard definition of parental verbal abuse or related

concepts such as psychological or emotional abuse, nor were there independent studies of

verbal abuse because it usually co-occurred with other forms of child maltreatment.

Research indicated it was possible that emotional abuse served as a mediating factor that

had not been considered in other studies of childhood maltreatment and adult functioning.

This idea was based on the contention that psychological maltreatment usually

accompanied other forms of abuse and was often more devastating to the child. It was
 33

believed that parents' verbal abuse went unidentified even more often than other forms of

child maltreatment. If identified, it was less likely to be recognized, and its effects did not

receive serious intervention or results in court involvement. For these reasons, it was

contended that studies with samples drawn from the general population provided more

accurate estimates of the incidence of parents' verbal abuse.

Furthermore, available evidence indicated that emotional abuse had a more

extensive and destructive impact on the development of children than other types of

abuse and neglect. The studies also indicated that a large part of the negative impact

associated with emotional maltreatment might be more clearly understood in the context

of those abusive or neglectful behaviors within the family that constituted psychological

maltreatment.

Child maltreatment was a multi-dimensional phenomenon that could not be

explained by any one factor. The National Research Council (1993) noted that little was

currently known about the specific contributions of individual factors (such as poverty,

unemployment, and violent neighborhoods) in families characterized by multiple

problems, or about the conditions under which these factors interact with other social and

personal factors to produce maltreatment. Within this context, the evidence for family

structure as a risk factor associated with child maltreatment was discussed.

Childhood maltreatment appeared to be a risk factor for adulthood psychosocial

dysfunction, most notably depressive symptoms, stress, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

Both males and females appeared to be negatively affected by childhood maltreatment,

and adulthood problems associated with childhood abuse were similar in males and
 34

females. Severity of the abuse, including the use of threat or force, longer duration,

increased frequency, and intrusiveness, seemed to be associated with greater adulthood

dysfunction. However, it remained unclear whether specific forms of abuse were more

strongly associated with specific problems in adulthood.

The research on parents' verbal abuse pointed out that victims often suffered from

depression, anxiety, stress, low self-esteem, and negative attitudes toward the parents

who abused them. Thus, the focus of this study was to investigate the relationships

between parents' verbal abuse and depression, anxiety, stress, self-esteem, and the

relationship with parents. The next chapter describes the methodology of the study.
 35

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

This chapter consists of four parts: (a) a description of the gender and the age of

the participants; (b) a description of the development of the instruments used in the study;

(c) an elaboration of the procedure for the data collection; (d) a discussion of the data

methods; and (e) a statement of the research questions.

Participants

The participants were from five education classes in a mid-sized university in the

Midwest. The participants were Caucasians. There were 118 male and female college

undergraduate students in the sample, 29 male, and 89 female. Their average age was 19

years old.

Instruments

Five instruments were used in this study: the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress

Scales (DASS-21), Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, the Verbal Abuse Measure, the

Child Attitudes Towards Parents Scales, and the State-Trait Anger Inventory Measure.

Each scale is described in detail in the next section.

Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21)

The DASS is a set of three self-report scales designed to measure the negative

emotional states of depression, anxiety, and stress (see Appendix A). The DASS was

constructed to further the process of defining, understanding, and measuring the

ubiquitous and clinically significant emotional states usually described as depression,

 36

anxiety, and stress. Each of the three DASS scales contains 14 items, divided into sub-

classes of 2-5 items with similar content.

In addition to the basic 42-item questionnaire (1995), a short version--the DASS

21--was used with 7 items per scale. The scales of the DASS have been shown to have

high internal consistency and to yield meaningful discriminations in a variety of settings.

The scales should meet the needs of both researchers and clinicians who wish to measure

a participant's current state or a change in their state over time. The rating scale is as

follows: (0) Did not apply to me; (1) Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time;

(2) Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time; (3) Applied to me very

much or most of the time. The DASS was designed to provide relatively pure measurer of

the three related negative affective states of depression, anxiety, and stress (Lovibond &

Lovibond, 1995).

According to Lovibond (1998), the Depression Scale assesses dysphoria,

hopelessness, devaluation of life, self-disparaging, lack of interest or involvement,

dispirited, gloomy, blue, convinced that life has no meaning or value, pessimistic about

the future, unable to experience enjoyment or satisfaction, unable to become interested or

involved, slow, and lacking in initiative. The Anxiety Scale assesses autonomic arousal,

skeletal musculature effects, situational anxiety, and subjective experience of anxious

affect. The Stress Scale assesses difficulty relaxing, nervous arousal, being easily upset or

agitated, irritable or overactive, and impatient.

Lovibond ( 1998) found that the DASS scales consisted of 42 negative emotional

symptoms. The scales rate the extent to which the participants have experienced each
 37

symptom over the past week, on a 4-point Likert severity/frequency scale. According to

Lovibond (1998), the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS) show good

convergent validity with other scales designed to discriminate between depression· and

anxiety. Alpha coefficients for three 14-item DASS scales are as follows: Depression

0.91, Anxiety 0.84, and Stress .90.

, According to Antony, Bieling, Cox, Enns, and Swinson (1998), the Depression

Anxiety Stress Scales may hold more promise for distinguishing between anxiety and

depression, as well as between symptoms of physical arousal and symptoms of

generalized anxiety (for example, tension or agitation). Factor analytic studies with non-

clinical (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995) and clinical samples (Brown, Chorpita, Korotitsh,

& Barlow, 1997) have confirmed that DASS items can be reliably grouped into three

scales: (1) Depression (DASS-D); (2) Anxiety (DASS-A), and (3) Stress (DASS-S). The

Depression Scale includes items that measure symptoms typically associated with a

dysphoric mood (e.g., sadness or worthlessness). The Anxiety Scale includes items that

are primarily related to symptoms of physical arousal, panic attacks, and fear (e.g.,

trembling or faintness). Finally, the Stress Scale includes items that measure symptoms

such as tension, irritability, and a tendency to overreact to stressful events.

To date, only one published article has addressed the psychometric properties of

the DASS (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995). This study suggested that DASS has excellent

internal consistency and temporal stability and provides a better separation of the features

of anxiety and depression, relative to other existing measures.

 38

In summary, the study by Antony et al. ( 1998) confirmed previous findings that

DASS is a reliable and valid method of assessing features of depression, anxiety, and

tension-stress. The DASS appears to be an appropriate instrument for measuring features

of depression, hyper-arousal, and tension in clinical and non-clinical groups.

Furthermore, the 21-item version of the measure appears to have several advantages

relative to the 42-item version, including fewer items, a cleaner factor structure, and

smaller inter-factor correlation.

Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory

The adult form (for ages 16 and over) of the Coopersmith (1981) Self-Esteem

Inventory (CESI) was used in this study as a measure of self-esteem (see Appendix B). It

is a brief self-report questionnaire with 25 items measuring evaluative attitudes toward

the self in several domains: social (self-peers), school-academic, home-parents, and

general self. The items are short statements, generally answered "like me" or "unlike me."

Examples of some items are: "I find it very hard to talk in front of a group," "I give in too

easily," "I have a low opinion of myself." The CSEI is self-administered and takes about

10 minutes to complete.

Scoring the forms takes only a few minutes when the scoring key is used. The

examiner needs to sum the number of self-esteem items answered correctly to arrive at a

total self-score. For the Adult Form, one needs to multiply the score by 100. High scores

in the CSEI correspond to high self-esteem.

Robinson, Shaver, and Wrightsman (1991) reported a Cronbach of .83 for internal

consistency on the CSEI. Kokens reported a study of CSEI construct validity, (1974,
 39

1978). Her investigation included over 7,600 school children ingrades 4 through 8.

Kokens, study confirmed the construct validity of sub-scales proposed by Coopersmith as

measuring sources of self-esteem. Regarding the discriminant validity of the CSEI,

Kokens found correlations of .75 and .44 with the Edwards and Marlowe-Crowne social

desirability scales (Taylor & Reitz, as cited in Robinson, Shaver, & Wrightsman, 1991).

Verbal Abuse Measure

A modified version of the Parental Love Deprivation Measure (PLD) developed

by Al-Mabuk (1990) was used in this study (see Appendix C). The measure's focus was

modified from parental love deprivation to indexes of verbal abuse to make the

instrument more applicable to this study. A definition of parental verbal abuse, also it

included three statements about physical abuse, sexual abuse, and alcohol problems was

added.

The measure consists of three parts. The first part has 10 questions to which the

respondents answered either "Yes" or "No." Examples include," Do you resent the way

your mother raised you?" "Did you feel love for your father?" The second part of this

measure asked participants to provide information about specific incidents of parental

verbal abuse, living arrangements, and frequency and intensity of verbal abuse.

This sub-scale provided a definition of parents' verbal abuse so the participants

answered the questions using the operational definition of verbal abuse in this study.

After reading the definition, participants were asked to list two specific incidents they

remembered vividly when they were verbally abused by their parent (s). Next,

participants were asked to describe the living arrangment and the people with whom they
 40

lived during their childhood. They were given four responses to chose from: (1) intact

family, (2) one-parent family, (3) orphan home, or (4) other (which the participant must

specify).

Participants next marked which of the three categories best represented the

frequency of their parents' verbal abuse on them. The three categories were: (1) All the

time, (2) Some of the time, and (3) Rarely. The final part of this sub-scale dealt with the

duration and the period during which the verbal abuse took place. For the duration, the

participants selected from four categories (1) Weeks, (2) Months, (3) Years, and (4)

Other (which the participants specified). The information obtained through this second

subscale served two purposes: (a) to ascertain that participants were in fact verbally

abused by their parents when they were younger and ( b) to obain a profile of the

commonalities and differences among the participants.

The third part of parental verbal abuse measure has 25 statements that deal with

the nature of the participant's relationship with his/her mother. The same scale was used

to investigate the relationship with the father. The participants rated themselves on a 5-

points Likert scale. The five categories were (5) Strongly Disagree, (4) Disagree, (3)

Neutral, (2) Agree, and (1) Strongly Agree.

The three parts of this measure dealt with the nature of the relationship between

the participants and their parents. The statements in Part 3 dealt more specifically with

the participants feelings and attitudes about their mother and father. Examples of

statements in Part 3 are: "I did and still receive putdowns from my father," "I feel that

my father never was sarcastic toward me,"" I feel resentful toward my father for saying
 41

cruel things to or about me. 11 A sample of statments from Part 3 include," My mother hurt

my feelings by calling me names when I was a child,"" I feel love for my mother," "I

wish that my mother was warm and affectionate toward me when I was growing up," "I

would want the same mother to take care of me if I had to do it over again." The range of

possible scores of each scale (Part 3) is from a minimum of 22 to a maximum 110. A

high score indicated a high level of parents' verbal abuse, and a low score indicated a

low level of parents' verbal abuse.

Child Attitude Toward Parents Measure

The Child Attitude Toward Father (CAF) and Child Attitude Toward Mother

(CAM) scales developed by Hudson (1976) were used as a measure of attitudes toward

parents (see Appendix D). These two scales were designed to measure the degree of

contentment a child (ages 12 and older) has with his/her father and mother. The scale is

designed to measure the extent of a relationship problem. Each scale has 25 brief, self-

report items. The items are short statements measuring the degree of one's contentment

in the relationship with his/her parents. The items are rated on a 5-points Likert scale.

The five categories are: (1) Rarely or none of the time, (2) A little of the time, (3)

Sometimes, (4) Good part of the time; and (5) Most or all of the time. Some of the

statements are formulated in the negative, such as" I dislike my mother,"" I feel very

angry toward my father." Others are positively worded, such as " I get along well with

my father," 11 I really enjoy my mother. II

The author deliberately included positively-worded and negatively worded

statements to control for the effect of response set biases. The score on each scale has a
 42

possible range from 0 to 100. A high score in either scale indicated a high degree of

conflict or negative attitude toward that parent. The author of these two scales stated that

they are both reliable and vaild. Each has a reliability of .90, and both have high face,

discriminant, and construct validity.

In addition, the two scales have other desirable psychometric requirements

including their being short, easy to administer, easy to interpret, easy to complete, easy to

score, and do not suffer response decay when used repeatedly over many occasions (Al-

Mabuk, 1990; Hudson, 1976).

State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory

The State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI) developed by Charles D.

Spielberger (1991, see Appendix E) consists of three subsets of items which asked

respondents about (a) how angry they are feeling now (i.e., state-anger), (b) how angry

they generally feel (i.e., anger-trait), and (c) how they behave when they get angry (i.e.,

anger-expression). The sample items include "I am furious," "I feel irritated" for the state-

anger, "I am quick tempered," "I have a fiery temper" for the trait-anger, and "I control

my temper." " I express my anger" for the anger-expression.

Scoring: The Trait-Anger items are rated on 4-points Likert scale, which has four

categories such as "not at all," " sometimes," " moderately, " or " very much so." The

possible scores range from a minimum score of 10 (low anger) to a maximum score of 40

(high anger) in the anger-state and anger-trait items, and from a minimum score of24

(low anger) to a maximum score of96 (high anger) in the anger-expression items.
 43

Reliability: The (STAS) has very good reliability. The internal consistency is .93

for the state-anger, .86 for the trait-anger, and .73 to .84 for the anger-expression

(Spielberger,1991). In addition, studies on the validity of the STAXI indicate that the

sub-scale of the trait-anger correlates signifcantly and positively with with three measures

of hostility, and measures of neuroticism, psychotism, and anxiety (Fischer & Corcoran,

1994).

Procedure

The researcher administered the instruments to five undergraduate classes and

asked the participants to fill them out and return them the following day. The participants

were assured that their responses would be kept confidential. They were told not to

provide any personal information. To ensure anonymity and maximize honest responses,

the students returned the instruments to a designated mailbox. The researcher collected

the protocols and made sure that they were filled out properly. Two of the instrument

packets had to be discarded because they were incomplete.

Methods of Data Analysis

The researcher conducted the following methods of data analysis for this study.

First, the reliability of the instruments was calculated, then the standard deviation of

emotion indexes was calculated. Second, to answer Research Question 1, the Pearson's

correlation coefficients were calculated to see how the variables correlated with each

other, and whether differences among the variables would exist or not between parent(s)-

child relationships and parents' verbal abuse.

 44

Third, to answer Research Question 2, a multiple regression analysis was

conducted to examine what could be a predictor of the motive for parental verbal abuse,

and whether or not verbal abuse could be a factor which may influence such behavior.

Fourth, to answer Research Question 3, the researcher conducted an independent simple

t-Test to examine gender differences in each variable and to see what variables related to

parent (s) verbal abuse. A fifth and final test, one- way- ANOVA was used to answer

Research Question 4 to see the differences in the family status (i.e., single family, intact

family). For this, the researcher used Bonferroni test.

Research Questions

This study investigated the following questions:

1. What are the relationships between parents' verbal abuse and the affective

variables of depression, anxiety, stress, anger, and self-esteem?

2. Does the child's attitude toward his/her mother/father relate to parents' verbal

abuse?

3. Are there gender differences in parents' verbal abuse?

4. Does the family configuration (i.e., intact family, lived with mother/father,

foster family, and other stepfather/mother) relate to parents' verbal abuse?

 45

CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS

This chapter presents the data analysis of the study. It consists of six parts: (a)

reliability scores for the instruments used in this study; (b) descriptive statistics of the

emotion indexes; (c) reports of the Pearson correlation coefficients, which were

calculated to see the inter-correlations of each emotional variable; (d) multiple regression

analysis; (e) t-test data of gender differences for each variable; and (f) the results of the

one-way ANOVA analysis.

Reliability of the Instruments

The internal consistency of the five scales used in this study was examined. The

reliability coefficient of each scale is as follows: alpha of .92 for the DASS

Questionnaire, alpha of .31 for the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, alpha of .50 for

the Verbal Abuse Questionnaire, alpha of .56 for the (You and Your Father)

Questionnaire, alpha of. 77 for (You and Your Mother) Questionnaire, alpha of .69 for

the Child Attitude toward Mother Questionnaire, alpha of .88 for the Child Attitude

toward Father Questionnaire, and alpha of. 78 for the State -Trait Anger Inventory.

Descriptive Statistics of the Emotion Indexes

In this study, indexes were created to represent feelings such as depression, stress,

anxiety, anger, self-esteem, attitude toward parents (father/mother), and verbal abuse

measure (you and your father/mother). Every index was the sum of all the items in the

scale, and the measurement levels of these indexes were all intervals. However, the

anger inventory used three different sub-scales of anger (state-anger, trait-anger, and
 46

anger-expression) with three different anger indexes. These indexes were also the sum of

each sub-set of the scale, and the measurement level was all intervals.

As a result, there were 10 emotion indexes, consisting of DASS; Child Attitude

toward Parents (father/mother); verbal abuse measurement (You and Your Father/

Mother); self-esteem; Anger 1, which corresponds to the state-anger; Anger 2, which

corresponds to trait-anger; and Anger 3, which describes anger-expression. Table 1

shows the standard deviation and mean of each index.

Table 1

Descriptive Statistics of Emotion Indexes (Standard Deviation)

Index M

Angerl 12 3.9
Anger2 17.2 4.9
Anger3 55.9 6.1
Self-esteem 39.6 2.4
DASS 13.7 9.4
Child attitude toward father 62 5.4
Child attitude toward mother 62.5 5.2
You and your father 96.4 13.3
You and your mother 94.5 9.7
Verbal abuse 7.4 3.3
Note. M represents the average value and SD represents the standard deviation.

Inter-Correlations of Emotion Indexes {Pearson Correlation)

The first question the study investigated was: what are the relationships between

verbal abuse and depression, anxiety, stress, anger, and self-esteem? Pearson correlation

coefficients were calculated to see the inter-correlations of each emotional variable. Table

2 shows the inter-correlations between emotion indexes.

 47

Table 2

Inter-Correlations Between Emotion Indexes (Pearson Correlation)

Index Angerl ATF MEF DASS Anger2 VB Self-Esteem Anger3 ATM

Anger 1

ATF .00

MEF -.17 -.03

DASS .39** .06 .15

Anger 2 .30** .19* -.07 .29**

VB .30** -.01 -33** .28** .24**

Self-esteem -.21 * -.10 .17 -.38** -.09 -.20*

Anger3 .20* .05 -.24** .22* .23* .24** -.09

ATM -.31**' .45** -.01 .00 .00 .04 .02 -.04

MEM -.14 .11 -.45** -.21 * -.12 -.36** 19* -.02 -.13

Note. ** .Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed)

*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed)
Anger 1 (state-anger), Anger2 (trait anger), Anger 3(anger expression), ATF (Child
Attitude toward father), MEF (the relationship between father and child), DASS
(depression, stress, anxiety), ATM (Child attitude toward mother), and MEM (the
relationship between mother and child), VB (Verbal Abuse)

Table 2 shows a moderate correlation 12 = .39 at the 0.01 significant level

between Anger l(state-anger) and DASS. There was a low correlation between Anger 1

and Anger 2 (trait-anger) (12 = .30 at the level of 0.01), and a low correlation between

Anger 1 and verbal abuse ( 12 = .30 at the level of 0.01). There is a negative and low
 48

correlation between Anger 1 and Self-esteem Q = -. 21 at the 0.01 significant level. A

correlation was found between Anger 1 and Anger 3 (anger-expression) p = .20 at the of

0.05 significant level. In addition, a negative and low correlation was found between

Anger 1 and Child Attitude toward Mother p = -.31 at the level of 0.01.

There was a slight correlation between Anger 2 and Child Attitude toward Father

p = .19 at the 0.05 significant level, and a low correlation between Anger 2 (anger- trait)

and DASS p = .29 at 0.05 significant level.

A low correlation occurred between verbal abuse (Part 1, see Appendix C) and

Anger l(state-anger) at Q = .30 at 0.01 significant level, and a negative and low

correlation between verbal abuse and the You and your Father at Q = - .33 at the 0.01

significant level. Low correlations between verbal abuse and DASS were found p_= .28 at

the 0.01 significant level, and between verbal abuse and Anger 2 (trait-anger) at the p =

.24 at the 0.01 significant level.

For Self-esteem and Anger 1 (state-anger) a negative and low correlation occurred

Q..= - .21 at the 0.05 significant level, and between Self-Esteem and DASS p = - .38 at the

0.01 significant level. There was negative and low correlation between Self-Esteem and

Verbal Abuse p = -.20 at the 0.05 significant level.

A low correlation was found between Anger 3 (anger-expression) and Anger 1

(state-anger) at p =. 20 at 0.05 significant level. A negative and low correlation was found

between Anger 3 (anger-expression) and Child Attitude toward Father Q..= -. 24 at 0.01

significant level. There was low correlation between Anger 3 and DASS p_= .20 at 0.05
 49

significant level. Also between Anger 3 and Anger 2 of 12.= .23 at 0.05 significant level,

and between Anger 3 and Verbal Abuse :g = .24 at 0.05 significant level.

Concerning Child Attitude toward Mother and Anger I (state-anger) a negative

and low correlation was found at 12.= -. 31 at 0.01 significant level. A moderate

correlation occurred between Child Attitude toward Mother and Child Attitude toward

Father at :g = .45 at 0.01 significant level. In addition, Table 2 shows a slight correlation

between Anger 3 (anger-expression) and You and your Mother Q = .19 at the 0.05

significant level.

There was a moderate correlation between family relationship the You and your

Mother and You and your Father at Q = .45 at 0.01 significant level. However, there was

a negative and low correlation between You and your Mother and DASS at Q = -. 21 at

0.05 significant level. A negative and low correlation was found between You and your

Mother and Verbal Abuse at :g = - .36 at 0.01 significant level.

Regression Analysis

The second question the study investigated was: Does the child's attitude toward

his/her mother/father relate to parents' verbal abuse? A multiple regression with stepwise

was used to determine what variables contribute to the explanation of the (dependent

variable) Anger !(state-anger) and to what degree.

Table 3 shows a summary ofregression analysis of variance for variables

predicting the level of Anger I (state-anger).

 50

Table 3

Summary of Regression Analysis for Variables Predicting the Level of Anger 1 {state-
anger)

Variable

VB .105 .043 .198

ATM -.005 .001 -.353
Anger2 .162 .074 .184

DASS .083 .025 .282

Note. Multiple R =. 59, R Sguare = .35, Adjusted R Sguare = .33. Stepwise method was
used. B = coefficient which tells us the slope predicted (steepness) of the line.
SE = the regression coefficient multiplied by the standard deviation of the Independent
variables (VB= Verbal Abuse, ATM= Child Attitude toward Mother, Anger 2 = anger-
trait, DASS= Depression, Anxiety, and Stress) divided by the standard deviation of the
(Anger 1 = anger-state) measure. Beta = A beta is a regression coefficient that has been
standardized, can be thought of as indicators of the relative importance of individual
variables within a regression equation.

Table 3 shows that Verbal Abuse and Child Attitude toward Mother, Anger 2

(trait-anger), and DASS were the predictors for the level of Anger 1 (state-anger). The R

square of .35 indicated low linear correlations between the criterion variable Anger 1

(state-anger) and the predictors such as Verbal Abuse and Child Attitude toward Mother,

Anger 2 (trait-anger), and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS).

The other independent variables such as the You and your Mother/ Father (see

Appendix C), Anger 3 (anger-expression), Child Attitude toward Father, and Self-Esteem

were not in the equation as predictors describing the linear correlation, therefore, these

variables are not predictors.

 51

Independent Simple t-Test

The third question the study investigated was: Are there gender differences in

parents' verbal abuse? The researcher conducted an independent simple t-Test to examine

gender differences in each variable. The dependent variables included Verbal Abuse,

Anger, DASS, You and your Father/Mother, Child Attitude toward Father/Mother, and

Self-esteem. A significant difference was found in the relationship between mother and

child (t -value= 2.78, p < 0.05). Males had relationships that were more negative with

their mothers than females. (The mean for males was = 98.5862, and mean for females

was = 93.2472).

Furthermore, to answer the study second question, which was, does the child's

attitude toward his/her mother/father relate to verbal abuse? A significant difference was

found in child attitude toward mother (t-value = 2.16, 12< 0.05). Females had a more

positive attitude toward their mothers than males (mean for females was = 62.8764, and

mean for males was = 59.2857).

One-Way-ANOVA

The fourth question this study investigated was: Does the family configuration

(i.e., intact family, lived with mother/father, foster family, and other step father/mother)

relate to parents' verbal abuse? A one-way ANOV A analysis based on the Bonferroni

test was used in this step using the three variables (You and your Mother, You and your

Father, and Verbal Abuse) based on family configuration variable (see Appendix C).

Table 4, shows summaries of family configuration and the above mentioned

variables which were in the equation.

 52

Table 4

ANOVA of Family Configuration

Source df SS F-Ratio F-Prob

Single, Intact, and Other 2 .8889 .4445 14.2755 .0000**

Single(mother), and Intact 2 .0422 .0211 8.8079 .0003**

Intact, and Other 2 596.0849 298.0424 3.2090 .0441 **

Intact and Other 2 1102.8860 551.4430 7.0759 .0013**

Note. ** Means significance at 0.05 level. Bonferroni was used with significance level
0.05. df =Degrees of freedom, SS = Sum of Squares, MS= Means of Squares.
Single means lived with mother/father; Intact means intact family; Other means step
family.

Table 4 shows a significant difference between family configurations (lived with

mother, intact, and other stepfamily) and parents' verbal abuse (Part 1, see Appendix C) Q

= 0000 at 0.05 significant level. There is a significant difference between family

configuration (Intact and Single family) and the You and your Father (Part 2, see

Appendix C) n = .0003 at significant 0.05 level. There was a significant difference

between (Intact and Other Step family) and the You and Your Mother (Part 3, see

Appendix C) n = 0013 at 0.05 significant level.

Also, there was a significant difference between groups (e.g., Intact family and

other Step family) and DASS (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales) n =. 0441 at the

0.05 significant level.

In addition, several analyses of variance were performed for the comparison

group to determine whether there were differences between verbally abused groups and
 53

In addition, several analyses of variance were performed for the comparison

group to determine whether there were differences between verbally abused groups and

non-verbally abused groups. No significant differences were found. There were no

correlations between parents' verbal abuse and other types of abuse (physical, sexual). In

addition, no correlation was found between parents' verbal abuse and parents' problems

with alcohol. An interpretation of the data described above is presented in the next

chapter.
 54

CHAPTER FIVE

DISCUSSION

This chapter will first provide a discussion of the results of the study, next state

the limitations and strengths of the study, discuss some implications of the study, and

finally discuss some directions for future research. The primary objective of this study

was to investigate the relationship between parents' verbal abuse and depression, anxiety,

stress, anger, self- esteem, and relations with either one or both parents for college

students. The reliability coefficients of the scales used in this study showed that they

were psychometrically sound.

Research Questions

As predicted, retrospective reports of parental verbal abuse were significantly

related to depression, anxiety, stress, self-esteem, anger, and child-parent(s) relationships.

This finding is consistent with the studies that have demonstrated increased depression,

anxiety, stress, and low self-esteem among emotionally abused children. The current

study investigated four factors, or variables, related to parental verbal abuse.

1. What are the Relationships between Parents' Verbal Abuse and the Affective

Variables of Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Self-Esteem, and Anger?

The hypothesis for the question was that the more participants experienced

parents' verbal abuse, the higher will be their level of depression, anxiety, stress, anger,

and the lower will be their level of self-esteem.

 55

Depression, Anxiety, Stress as Outcomes of Parents' Verbal Abuse

Parental verbal abuse is related to depression, anxiety, and stress as the findings

in this study indicated (see Table 2). Verbally abused participants who experienced

constant belittling may actually be depressed but not know it because they may not

always seem sad. It is more likely that the participants' unpleasant surroundings may

contribute to them being depressed. Depression can lead to anxiety and stress as the

findings indicated. It is possible that anxious participants seem to be tense (stress)

because of frequent yelling or degrading. It is also possible that, anxious and stressed

children may be quiet, compliant, and eager to please. Their stress may be unseen by

them or their parents. In addition, verbally abused participants may have feelings oflow

self-esteem.

Furthermore, both genders who experienced frequent parental verbal abuse as the

findings indicated are more anxious than those who were not abused. Parents'

expectations and demands may convey a message to their children that contributes to the

children's feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress in later life. Children may believe

everything that their parents express to them, and consequently they will believe that they

are worthless. They may also blame themselves, feel angry, frustrated, scared, or afraid,

which can then tum into psychosomatic symptoms or low self-esteem.

This study findings are consistent with these studies: Hart and Brassard, 1987;

Moore, 1991; Silvem et al., 1995; Stone, 1993. These studies explored the effects of

parents' verbal abuse.

 56

Low Self-Esteem as an Outcome of Parents' Verbal Abuse

The study found a negative and low correlation between self-esteem and parents'

verbal abuse (see Table 2). One interpretation was that constant rejection can seriously

interfere with participants' positive self-image. Words like "stupid," "dummy,"

"clumsy," and "lazy" had negative effects on how participants perceived themselves.

Constant belittling and degrading could make the participants feel unwanted and not

worthwhile.

Many children and adults may simply accept the blame and think that they are

the problem and that they are bad or worthless. Emotionally abused children may learn at

an early age that their emotional needs will not be met, which can result in them feeling

no value as human beings.

This finding is consistent with the following studies: Biller and Solomon, 1986;

Erickson and Egeland, 1991; Vissing et al., 1991.

Anger as an Outcome of Parents' Verbal Abuse

The data showed a negative and low correlation between anger expression and

parents' verbal abuse (see Table 2). Participants might not have been sure when it was

appropriate to be angry, and they might not have known the reasons for their anger. In

addition, it is possible that they do not want to blame their parents for causing their anger.

Instead, they might have been blaming themselves for being bad.

Verbally abused participants might have been depressed because they felt helpless

and do not know how to express their anger in a way that would not get them in trouble

with their parents or express their feelings in a healthy way. In addition, through verbal
 57

abusive parent(s) may convey the message that showing emotions, especially anger is

wrong, shameful, and weak. Therefore, participants might internalize their anger and then

self-blame. It is possible that verbally abused participants became quickly conditioned to

see themselves as worthless and deserving of the abuse. This finding is consistent with

these studies: Hoglund and Nicholas, 1995; Macpherson, 1984.

In summary, the participants in this study, who were verbally abused by their

parent (s), were found to show more depression, a high level of anxiety, stress, and anger,

and lower self-esteem. The literature on verbal/emotional maltreatment suggested that

verbally abused children grow into depressed, anxious adults. They may have normal

physical development, but the emotional development will most likely be affected by

parental verbal abuse.

However, it is interesting that the study participants' answers showed that they did

not think that they were abused, for several reasons. Participants objected to the

definition of the word "abuse"on the questionnaire because of the stigma attached to the

word "abuse." They thought that it was normal to hear words such as "dummy," or "fool"

(e.g.," I don't think my father calling me names was abuse," and "It is a normal thing to

say, so I didn't consider it as an abuse").

Secondly, the participants did not want to blame their parent(s). Instead, they tried

to give excuses about their verbally abusive parent (s)--(i.e.," after all we lived in a

farm," "my mother have too much to do," "my father was angry," and "my mom did not

mean what she said to me"). Therefore, they may have internalized their feelings and

knowledge.
 58

Thirdly, the participants might not have known that they were depressed because

of their parents' abuse. Some of the participants' remarks were (e.g., "I do not think my

parents are responsible for me being depressed").

2. Does the Child's Attitude Toward his/her Mother/Father Relate to Parents'

Verbal Abuse?

The finding indicated that males exhibited a more negative attitude toward their

mothers than females. Also, the anger variable used as the criterion to predict parents'

verbal abuse showed that it would lead to a high levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and

have a negative child attitude toward parents, especially toward the mother (see t-Test).

There was a moderate correlation between child attitude toward both parents, which was

associated with general anger, depression, anxiety, and stress in males and females.

It is possible that mothers are too protective and more possessive with their sons

than their daughters. In addition, differential societal treatments of boys and girls may

account for this mistreatment of sons. Boys may have more feelings of aggression

towards mothers as a proof of their masculinity and because of the stigma in any society

that the males are more powerful than females even if the reference is to their mothers.

Males of this generation may feel weakened being under their mothers' strong

personality and harsh treatment of them. Other pressures like the stress of a single parent

(mother) provider for her family might have been contributed to participants'

maltreatment.

Boys who experienced verbal abuse from their mother may have become

attached to their fathers, especially if the father was absent. They may have resented
 59

their mothers because the fathers were not involved with the responsibilities of rearing

children; therefore, the mothers might have felt more pressure and become verbally

abusive.

Constant criticism could make the verbally abused participant think this is normal

parental behavior. Verbally abused participants might have confused feelings about their

family. If a parent responded inappropriately to a participants' needs, this might increased

the likelihood of the participant becoming anxious and insecure in his/her attachment to

both parents. The finding of this question was consistent with the following studies:

Biller and Solomon 1986; Sheerer, 1997; Smith, 1995; Tomison and Tucci, 1997.

3. Are there Gender Differences from Parents' Verbal Abuse?

Based on the data for this study, there were gender differences in the relationship

between mothers and males participants. The results indicated that males tended to have

more negative relationships with their mothers than females (see t-Test).

It is possible that abuse affects boys and girls in different ways. Because of the

stigma in any society for males to be tough, boys may internalize the abuse because they

are not supposed to show their affection. Consequently, they (males) might be angry and

depressed throughout their lives. Mothers might be stressed out from everyday life

problems so they (mothers) might not have time to spend with their sons, especially

during the early years in their sons lives. This in part could alienate sons from their

mothers.

It is possible that boys living in single mother homes might not only experience

the instability of family disruption but, on the average, they also received less supervision
 60

or time with parents than children living in two parent homes. Perhaps maltreating

mothers lacked an understanding of their child's behavior and the complexities of parent-

child relationships. Perhaps these mothers may have also experienced high levels of

stress, were socially isolated or unsupported, and perhaps had a history of inadequate care

in their own childhood's.

It may be that boys are the opposite sex of their mothers and developing their

masculinity, this may separate mothers and sons. Therefore, mothers widen the gap by

making stereotyped assumptions about the nature of masculinity. They might expect their

boys to be typical men. Mothers might not understand masculinity. Because the boy child

is the opposite sex, it might be difficult for these mothers to adopt another perspective.

Perhaps children (participants) with difficult temperaments, especially boys, are

more likely than an easy child to be the target of mothers' coercive, punitive discipline.

Moreover, it is more likely that the mother is young, immature, depressed, antisocial,

stressed, or has few available social supports. Therefore, their boys might have long-term

negative effects from kindergarten to adolescence with unhealthy consequences

throughout.

It is possible that boys tend to internalize their emotions. It is not surprising that

they can be twice as affected by their mothers' maltreatment as girls as the results in this

study indicated (see t-Test).

This finding is consistent with the following studies: Biller and Solomon, 1986;

NIS-3, 1996; Smith, 1995; Varia, Abidin, and Dass, 1996.

 61

4. Does the Family Configuration (i.e., intact family, lived with mother/father,

foster home, other such as stepfather/mother) Relate to Parents' Verbal Abuse?

The findings in this study showed that verbal abuse is even more likely to appear

in different families' configuration (see Table 4). Participants living in intact families who

experienced parental verbal abuse may be unaware that the parents' behavior is abnormal

because they have no comparison. Thus, participants of parents' verbal abuse may not

even mention it to anyone for years because they think it was not abuse. Furthermore, it

is possible that many parents from intact families are not aware of the intense damage

they do when they humiliate, put down, judge, belittle, ridicule, or criticize their children.

Their intentions may be to motivate the children to do better.

Parents from intact and single families may not know that their negative words

have powerful, deep, and long-lasting effects on their children. The parents could be

raising their children much like they were raised themselves. This explains why the

children do not consider it abuse because there is not a role model to imitate.

Some parents, especially fathers, might know nothing of normal child

developmental stages and may be unaware of children's needs. In addition, fathers might

not recognize the importance of emotional nurturing as a need of the child. It possible

that these fathers (parents) came from families where affection was not shown or even

discouraged. Some signs of verbally abusive parents such as he /she may not include the

child in the family circle; he/she might not allow the child to have an active part in the

family decision making; he/ she might seldom speak to the child in an easy way; and may
 62

not acknowledge or reinforce any good behavior or positive actions (lwaniec, 1995;

Smith, 1995).

All family configurations can contribute to potential maltreatment as the results

indicate in this study (see Table 4). Perhaps participants view their parents' as role

models and their (parents') word counts to the child. Parents' derogatory comments may

become the basis for children's sense of self-worth and self-esteem. Both parents may

bring with them the legacies of their own childhood and the pain that it still causes in

adult life. In stepfamilies, children who have had a stepfather/mother are at greater risk of

abuse as in Pillari's findings (1991).

In single parent families, it is almost automatically assumed that the mother is

solely responsible for any maltreatment. It could be, because the mothers have the major

role in the care of their children. The study finding is consistent with Creighton and

Noyes, 1989; National Research Council, 1993.

Strengths and Limitations of the Study

Strengths

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between parental verbal

abuse and the participants' emotional development (e.g., depression, anxiety, stress, self-

esteem, and anger). The study results show that parental verbal abuse has both short- and

long-term effects on the participants' emotional development. It was important to see the

effects of parent(s)' verbal abuse on the participants because of the negative

consequences.
 63

The participants may have high levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and

unexpressed anger. In addition, the participants may have a negative attitude toward their

parent(s) as the findings of this study indicate. In addition, the bond between parent-child

may have been damaged. It is important to look at the effects of parents' verbal abuse to

recognize the negative consequences and how damaging verbal abuse can be for healthy

development. This study illustrates the negative effects of parental verbal abuse as well as

highlighting how parent-child relationships can impact the psychological well being of

the child.

Limitations

As in all studies, this study, which investigated verbal abuse and its effects on

children, has a few limitations. The study relied solely on the use of questionnaires to

gather data. Other methods, such as interviews, would be beneficial to enlighten and

allow the researcher and the participant(s) to analyze more carefully the world of verbally

abused families, and to see how the participants view the effects of their parents' verbal

abuse on their lives.

The study could have included a non-college student population. In addition, it

would have been better if the participants were first screened to assess the degree of

verbal abuse in their lives. Those with a high degree of verbal abuse could have been

chosen as participants.

Conclusion

Parents' verbal abuse poses risks. It can teach the child that verbal abuse against

other members of one's family is acceptable. Eventually, parents who use verbal abuse
 64

are themselves likely to become victims. When verbally abused children become adults,

they may be more likely to engage in verbal abuse against their spouses and children.

Second, constant criticism tends to undermine the parent-child bond. Furthermore,

constant belittling might have a labeling effect because some children will internalize the

identification of themselves as "no good" or whatever term the parent tends to favor.

Parents may be emotionally abusing their child without even realizing it.

Constant criticism, verbal put-downs, and physical threats are all forms of emotional

abuse. Such comments as "you're fat" can seriously damage the development of the

child's self-esteem. Some parents withhold love and affection from a child or make it

conditional based on certain behavior or achievements. Other parents simply do not make

enough time for their kids. Such neglect is especially sad because otherwise good-

intentioned parents may not even realize the damage they may be causing.

The most harmful effect of verbal abuse is that children who are raised in an

abusive home often grow up in a constant state of depression and are unable to mature

through the normal stages of child development. They grow up thinking that what they

experienced is a part of normal interaction between people.

Verbal abuse is a community problem requiring a coordinated community

response to prevent and treat it successfully. People must be able to identify and report

cases of verbal abuse and be involved in their community's prevention efforts. Therefore,

no one agency or individual has the necessary knowledge, skills, and resources to prevent

and treat child maltreatment. Together, the community can make a difference in the lives

of maltreated children and their families.

 65

Implications and Future Research Directions

Because of the difficulty in defining emotional abuse, we must be very careful not

to lump all negative parental attitudes and/or actions under the category of emotional

maltreatment. Even the best of parents have occasions when they have momentarily "lost

control" and said hurtful things to their children, ignored them during a time when

attention needs were critical, or unintentionally scared them.

Although the visible signs of emotional abuse can be hard to find, this type of

abuse leaves hidden scars that manifest themselves in numerous behavioral ways. Poor

self-esteem, angry acts, depression, and poor development of basic skills can all be

possible results of emotional maltreatment. Consequently, verbal abuse and its hidden

consequences will always be difficult to be recognize.

It is suggested that verbal abuse has negative and severe impacts on children's

emotional development. Therefore, it is the responsibility of every member and agency

in any community not to promote and encourage verbal abuse. If verbal abuse is

encouraged, the victims of verbal abuse will blame themselves for any assaults they have

suffered, internalizing the message of the abusers (parents) and believing that they

deserve this abuse.

Furthermore, the need to define verbal abuse and its connection between parents'

behaviors and the effects on children's emotional development is very important. It is also

important to understand the severity of verbal abuse on children later in life. However,

verbal abuse is difficult to define because of researchers' uncertainty regarding what to

 66

focus on adults' behaviors, long-term consequences, parenting styles, or the different

factors, which contribute to this form of maltreatment.

It is apparent from the literature presented that researchers have yet to fully

determine the effects of verbal abuse on individuals. Further research should be

conducted on the associations between specific emotions and child maltreatment.

Similarly, child protective services should document cases where verbal abuse is

occurring in different types of families. Having such data available would increase

knowledge of the effects of parental verbal abuse on children.

Gough (1993) believed that such research would provide important information

on verbal abuse outcomes. It could lead to a better understanding of the extent of verbal

abuse on children later in life. Moreover, it would provide information for the legal

establishment and Child Protection Services (CPS) concerning interventions in child

maltreatment and help clarify the definition of verbal abuse for intervention programs.
 67

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 76

APPENDIX A: DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS SCALES (DASS-21)

Name: Date:

Please read each statement and circle a number 0, 1, 2 or 3 which indicates how much
the statement applied to you over the past week. There 'are no right or wrong answers.
Do not spend too much time on any statement.

The rating scale is as follows:

0 Did not apply to me at all
1 Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time
2 Applied to me to a considerable degree, or a good part of time
3 Applied to me very much, or most of the time

1 I found it hard to wind down. 0 1 2 3

2 I was aware of dryness of my mouth. 0 1 2 3
3 I could not seem to experience any positive feeling at all. 0 1 2 3
4 I experienced breathing difficulty ( e.g., excessively rapid 0 1 2 3
breathing, and breathlessness in the absence of physical
exertion).
5 I found it difficult to work up the initiative to do things. 0 1 2 3
6 I tended to over-react to situations. 0 1 2 3
7 I experienced trembling (e.g., in the hands). 0 1 2 3
8 I felt that I was using a lot of nervous energy. 0 1 2 3
9 I was worried about situations in which I might panic and 0 1 2 3
make a fool of mysel£
10 I felt that I had nothing to look forward to. 0 1 2 3
11 I found myself getting agitated. 0 1 2 3
12 I found it difficult to relax. 0 1 2 3
13 I felt down-hearted and blue. 0 1 2 3
14 I was intolerant of anything that kept me from getting on 0 1 2 3
with what I was doing.
 77

15 I felt I was close to panic. 0 1 2 3

16 I was unable to become enthusiastic about anything. 0 1 2 3
17 I felt I was not worth much as a person. 0 1 2 3
18 I felt that I was rather touchy. 0 1 2 3

19 I was aware of the action of my heart in the absence of 0 1 2 3

physical exertion (e.g., sense of heart rate increase, heart
missing a beat).
20 I felt scared without any good reason. 0 1 2 3
21 I felt that life was meaningless. 0 1 2 3

The rating scale is as follows:

0 Did not apply to me at all
1 Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time
2 Applied to me to a considerable degree, or a good part of time
3 Applied to me very much, or most of the time
 78

APPENDIX B: COOPERSMITH SELF-ESTEEM INVENTORY

(ADULT FORM)

Directions:
On the other side of this form, you will find a list of statements about feelings. If a
statement describes how you usually feel, circle the appropriate number, if a statement
does not describe how you usually feel, circle the appropriate number. Remember there
are not right or wrong answers.
l---"'(1"--)-L-ik_e_M_e_ _ _..,..l_(2_)_U_nl_ik_e_M_e_ _ ___,

I. Things usually do not bother me. 1 2

2. I find it very hard to talk in front of a group. 1 2
3. There are lots of things about my self
I would change if I could. 1 2
4. I can make up my mind without too
much trouble 1 2
5. I am a lot of fun to be with. 1 2
6. I get upset easily at home. 1 2
7. It t~kes me a long time to get used to
anything new. 1 2
8. I am popular with persons my own age. 1 2
9. My family usually considers my feelings. 1 2
10. I give in very easily. 1 2
11. My family expects too much of me. 1 2
12. It is pretty tough to be me. 1 2
13. Things are all mixed up in my life. 1 2
14. People usually follow my ideas. 1 2
15. I have a low opinion of myself. 1 2
16. There are many times when I would
like to leave home. 1 2
17. I often feel upset with my work. 1 2
18. I am not as nice looking as most people. 1 2
19. If I have something to say, I usually say it. 1 2
20. My family understands me. 1 2
21. Most people are better liked than I am. 1 2
22. I usually feel as ifmy family is pushing me. 1 2
23. I often get discouraged with what I am doing. 1 2
24. I often wish I were someone else. 1 2
25. I cannot be depended on. 1 2

Copyright by Consulting Psychologists Press, Inc. (1967)

 79

APPENDIX C: VERBAL ABUSE MEASURE

Part 1 Directions

Below are statements about you and your parents. Please read each carefully and circle
the response that best describes your relationship with your parents. Please be honest in
your responses. They will be kept strictly confidential.

Do you resent the way your mother raised you? Yes No

Do you resent the way your father raised you? Yes No

Did you feel loved by your mother? Yes No

Did you feel loved by your father? Yes No

Has your mother ever physically abused you? Yes No

Has your father ever physically abused you? Yes No

Has your mother ever sexually abused you? Yes No

Has your father ever sexually abused you? Yes Nu

Has your mother ever had a problem with alcohol? Yes No

Has your father ever had a problem with alcohol? Yes No

Verbal Abuse

Verbal Abuse is defined as the communication intended to cause psychological pain to

another person, or a communication perceived as having that intent. The communicative
act may be active or passive, and verbal or non-verbal.

Name two specific incidents that you remember vividly in which you were verbally
abused by either or either your parents or caretaker (s).

I. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please put a check mark by the category that best describes the living arrangement and
the people with whom you lived during your childhood.
 80

------Intact family
------One-parent family
------Orphan home
------Other (please specify)---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please indicate which of the following best represents the frequency when your parents'
verbally abuse you:
----------All the time
----------Some of the time
----------Rarely

How long did their verbal abuse of you last?

-----Weeks
-----Months
-----Years
-----Other (please specify)--------------------------------------------------------------------

What your present relationship status?

----- Married
-----Divorced
---- Single
---- Cohabitating,
----Other (Please Specify)----------------------------------------------------------------------

Please indicate if you have been revictimized in adult relationships. (Check all that apply)
-----Physically
-----Sexually
-----Emotionally (verbally)
----Other (please specify)

How has the verbal abuse affected you? (Please Specify)

Part 2 Directions
Gender:- - - - Age_ __

Below are statements about you and your father (or primary caretaker). Please read each
carefully and circle the response that best describes your relationship with your father.
Please be honest in your responses. They will be kept strictly confidential.
 81

I (5)Strongll'. Disagree {4}Disagree {3)Neutral {2)Agree (l)Strongll'. Agree I

1. I am very close to my father. 1 2 3 4 5
2. While growing up, my father always made
negative remarks of my looks. 1 2 3 4 5
3. I did and still receive negative
compliments from my father. 1 2 3 4 5
4. I feel that my father never accepts
me for who I am. 1 2 3 4 5
5. I received many hugs and kisses
from my father when I was a child. 1 2 3 4 5
6. I do not feel appreciated and cared for
by my father most of the time. 1 2 3 4 5
7. When I was a child, my father did not paid
a lot of attention to my needs. 1 2 3 4 5
8. My father always criticizes the way I dress. 1 2 3 4 5
9. My father all the time said thoughtless, unkind,
cruel things to or about me. 1 2 3 4 5
10. My father was always around when
I was growing up. 1 2 3 4 5
11. When I was younger, my father did not
praised my achievement. 1 2 3 4 5
12. I feel love for my father. 1 2 3 4 5
13. My father did not valued and respected me
as an individual. 1 2 3 4 5
14. I feel that my father should have displayed
more warmth and provided more affection. 1 2 3 4 5
15. I feel resentful toward my father
for saying cruel things to or about me. 1 2 3 4 5
16. My father was generally warm and affectionate. 1 2 3 4 5
17. Sometimes I feel that my father
wishes he never had me. 1 2 3 4 5
18. My father and I would do anything
for each other. 1 2 3 4 5
19. I feel unhappy that my father was
the sarcastic or belittling type. 1 2 3 4 5
20. My father was often verbally hostile
and aggressive toward me. 1 2 3 4 5
21. I love my father. 1 2 3 4 5
22. I wish my father was warm and affectionate
toward me when I was growing up. 1 2 3 4 5
23. My father verbally shows his displeasure of
or about my failures when I was growing up. 1 2 3 4 5
24. My father generally ignored my needs
 82

when I was a child. 1 2 3 4 5

25. I would want the same father to take
care of me, ifI had to do it all over again. 1 2 3 4 5

Part 3 Directions
Gender: Age

Below are statements about you and your mother (or primary caretaker). Please read each
carefully and circle the response that best describes your relationship with your mother.
Please be honest in your responses. They will be kept strictly confidential.

(5)Strongly Disagree (4)Disagree (3)Neutral (2)Agree (l)Strongly Agree

1. I am very close to my mother. 1 2 3 4 5

2. While growing up, my mother always made
negative remarks of my looks. 1 2 3 4 5
3. I did and still receive negative
compliments from my mother. 1 2 3 4 5
4. I feel that my mother never accepts
me for who I am. 1 2 3 4 5
5. I received many hugs and kisses
from my mother when I was a child. 1 2 3 4 5
6. I do not feel appreciated and cared for
by my mother most of the time. 1 2 3 4 5
7. When I was a child, my mother did not paid
a lot of attention to my needs. 1 2 3 4 5
8. My mother always criticizes the way I dress. 1 2 3 4 5
9. My mother all the time said thoughtless, unkind,
cruel things to or about me. 1 2 3 4 5
10. My mother was always around when
I was growing up. 1 2 3 4 5
11. When I was younger, my mother did not
praised my achievement. 1 2 3 4 5
12. I feel love for my mother. 1 2 3 4 5
13. My mother did not valued and respected me
as an individual. 1 2 3 4 5
14. I feel that my mother should have displayed
more warmth and provided more affection. 1 2 3 4 5
15. I feel resentful toward my mother
for saying cruel things to or about me. 1 2 3 4 5
16. My mother was generally warm and affectionate. 1 2 3 4 5
17. Sometimes I feel that my mother
wishes she never had me. 1 2 3 4 5
 83

18. My mother and I would do anything

for each other. 1 2 3 4 5
19. I feel unhappy that my mother was
the sarcastic or belittling type. 1 2 3 4 5
21. My mother was often verbally hostile
and aggressive toward me. 1 2 3 4 5
21. I love my mother. 1 2 3 4 5
22. I wish my mother was warm and affectionate
toward me when I was growing up. 1 2 3 4 5
23. My mother verbally shows her displeasure of
or about my failures when I was growing up. 1 2 3 4 5
24. My mother generally ignored my needs
when I was a child. 1 2 3 4 5
25. I would want the same mother to take
care of me, if I had to do it all over again. 1 2 3 4 5
 84

APPENDIX D: CHILD ATTITUDE TOW ARD PARENTS MEASURE

Child Attitude Toward Father

Age _ _ Female/Male

This questionnaire is designed to measure the degree of contentment you have in your
relationship with your father. It is not a test, so there are no right or wrong answers.
Answer each item as carefully and accurately as you can by placing a number beside each
one as follows:
1. Rarely or none of the time
2. A little of time
3. Sometime
4. Good part of the time
5. Most or all of the time.

1. My father gets on my nerves.

2. I get along well with my father.
3. I feel that I can really trust my father.
4. I dislike my father.
5. My father's behavior embarrasses me.
6. My father is too demanding.
7. I wish I had a different father.
8. I really enjoy my father.
9. My father puts too many limits on me.
10. My father interferes with my activities.
11. I resent my father.
12. I hate my father.
13. I think my father is terrific.
14. My father is very patient with me.
15. I really like my father.
16. I like being with my father.
17. I feel like I do not love my father.
18. My father is very irritating.
19. I feel very angry toward my father.
20. I feel violent toward my father.
21. I feel proud of my father.
22. I wish my father were more like others I know.
23. My father does not understand me.
24. I can really depend on my father.
25. I feel ashamed ofmy father.
Copyright C Malter .M Hudson,1976
2,3,8,12,14,15,16,21,24
 85

Child Attitude Toward Mother (CAM)

Age _ _ Female/Male- - - -

This questionnaire is designed to measure the degree of contentment you have in your
relationship with your mother. It is not a test, so there are no right or wrong answers.
Answer each item as carefully and accurately as you can by placing a number beside each
one as follows:
1. Rarely or none of the time
2. A little of time
3. Sometime
4. Good part of the time
5. Most or all of the time.
1. My mother gets on my nerves.
2. I get along well with my mother.
3. I feel that I can really trust my mother.
4. I dislike my mother.
5. My mother's behavior embarrasses me.
6. My mother is too demanding.
7. I wish I had a different mother.
8. I really enjoy my mother.
9. My mother puts too many limits on me.
10. My mother interferes with my activities.
11. I resent my mother.
12. I think my mother is terrific.
13. I hate my mother.
14. My mother is very patient with me.
15. I really like my mother.
16. I like being with my mother.
17. I feel like I do not love my mother.
18. My mother is very irritating.
19. I feel very angry toward my mother.
20. I feel violent toward my mother.
21. I feel proud of my mother.
22. I wish my mother was more like others I know.
23. My mother does not understand me.
24. I can really depend on my mother.
25. I feel ashamed ofmy mother.

Copyright C Malter .M Hudson,1976

2,3,8, 14, 15, 16,21,24
 86

APPENDIX E: STATE-TRAIT ANGER EXPRESSION INVENTORY

Part 1 Directions
A number of statements that people use to describe themselves are given below.
Read each statement and then fill in the circle with the number, which indicates how, you
feel right now. Remember that there are no right or wrong answers. Do not spend too
much time on any one statement, but give the answer, which seems to best describe your
resent feelin s. ·
Fill in(l) for Not at all Fill in (3) for Moderately so
Fill in (2) for Somewhat Fill in (4) for Ve much so

How I Feel Right How

1. I am furious. 1 2 3 4
2. I feel irritated. 1 2 3 4
3. I feel angry. 1 2 3 4
4. I feel like yelling at somebody. 1 2 3 4
5. I feel like breaking things. 1 2 3 4
6. I am mad. 1 2 3 4
7. I feel like banging on table. 1 2 3 4
8. I feel like hitting someone. 1 2 3 4
9. I am burned up. 1 2 3 4
10. I feel like swearing. 1 2 3 4

Part 2 Directions
A number of statements that people use to describe themselves are given below.
Read each statement and then fill in the circle with the number, which indicates how you
feel generally feel. Remember that there are no right or wrong answers. Do not spend too
much time on any one statement, but give the answer, which seems to best describe how
you generally feel.
Fill in (1) for Almost never Fill in (3) for Often
Fill in 2) for Sometimes Fill in (4) for Almost alwa s

How I Generally Feel

1. I am quick tempered. 1 2 3 4
2.1 have a fiery temper. 1 2 3 4
3. I am a hotheaded person. 1 2 3 4
4. I get angry when I'm slowed down
by others' mistakes. 1 2 3 4
5. I feel annoyed when I am not given recognition
for doing good work. 1 2 3 4
 87

6. I fly off the handle. 1 2 3 4

7. When I get mad, I say nasty things. 1 2 3 4
8. It makes me furious when I am
criticized in front of others. 1 2 3 4
9. When I get frustrated,
I feel like hitting someone. 1 2 3 4
10. I feel infuriated when I do a good job
and get a poor evaluation. 1 2 3 4

Part 3 Directions

Everyone feels angry or furious from time to time, but people differ in the ways
that they react when they are angry. A number of statements are listed below which
people use to describe their reactions when they feel angry or furious. Read each
statement and then fill in the circle with the number, which indicates how often you
generally react or behave in the manner, described when you are feeling angry or furious.
Remember that there are no right or wrong answers. Do not spend too much time on any
one statement.
Fill in (l)Almost Never Fill in(3) for Often

Fill in (2) for Sometimes Fill in(4) for Almost Always

When Angry or Furious .....

1. I control my temper. 1 2 3 4
2. I express my anger. 1 2 3 4
3. I keep things in. 1 2 3 4
4. I am patient with others. 1 2 3 4
5. I pout or sulk. 1 2 3 4
6. I withdraw from people. 1 2 3 4
7. I make sarcastic remarks to others. 1 2 3 4
8. I keep my cool. 1 2 3 4
9. I do things like slam doors. 1 2 3 4
10. I boil inside, but I do not show it. 1 2 3 4
11. I control my behavior. 1 2 3 4
12. I argue with others. 1 2 3 4
13. I tend to harbor grudges that
I do not tell anyone about. 1 2 3 4
14. I strike out at whatever infuriates me. 1 2 3 4
15. I can stop myself from losing
my temper. 1 2 3 4
16. I am secretly quite critical of others. 1 2 3 4
 88

17. I am angrier than I am willing to admit. 1 2 3 4

18. I calm down faster than most other people. 1 2 3 4
19. I say nasty things. 1 2 3 4
20. I try to be tolerant and understanding. 1 2 3 4
21. I'm irritated a great deal more than
people are aware of. 1 2 3 4
22. I lose my temper. 1 2 3 4
23. If someone annoys me, I'm apt to
tell him or her how I feel. 1 2 3 4
24. I control my angry feelings. 1 2 3 4

Copyright by Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc. ( 1988)